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!
Her creatures were fragile, it was true. Perhaps they might grow in strength as she did, but their existence had never truly been meant for endurance. Seren grieved to see them go all the same, even as she celebrated the strength of her friends. One day, she told herself, she would have to find out how far she could survive against Sah in a more serious spar. He kept saying how much weaker he was... but he already looked plenty strong to her eyes.
The challenge and the beckoning finger were given long, considering stares, and Seren pursed her lips. Weighing her options. Eventually, she offered a long sigh and looked down over herself, and the light-colored, flowing garments. The tunic was one of her better ones, and even if the leggins weren't exactly treasured, they were not training clothes either.
"Perhaps another time," she relented with a mournful sigh, and came slipping over, lithe on her feet and oh, so sweet now that she'd had her fun.
Holding up the plate in both hands, she stopped only when moving closer would squish the dish between them.
"Your prize, my lord," she teased. "Or... however you were addressed." That she did not know what wolf customs dictated was a major cause for concern.
I've got to make room for this feeling
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.
Sah's muscles relaxed when it became clear that the impromptu 'fight' was over. Sah did want to see how Seren fought without her magic one day. So the promise of another time had an easy smile coming to his face. "I'll hold you to that one."
The Abandoned gave a snort of laughter at the overexaggerated return of his food. Giving a small bow, he took it, popping one of the pastries into his mouth before replying. "Why thank you." There was a mischievous grin still on his face as Seren inquired into his former title. "I was just called Alpha or Sah. We had no need for extra terms beyond the title." He explained. It was a title, a description, a name, etc. Sah and his kind never understood the need for having more than one term for their leaders.
His bow made her laugh, more because it was unexpected. "It's a deal, then," she smiled, happier than she wanted to admit to have this promise to look forward to. So much more tangible than 'see you sometime', it made her feel impatient about all the duties she had waiting at home.
"Hm? Oh, I see. My father used to be nobility is his old world, apparently. A 'baron'. I couldn't quite pinpoint what that entailed, but he can be very picky about manners when he wants to be." Which was rarely, in all honesty. Still, Seren knew enough that when Sah retrieved his plate, she responded with a deep and graceful curtsy, ruined only by the sneaky hand that nicked a piece of cheese from said plate.
Leaning down to share some of it with Lilly, a new tune was struck up from the many tents and stalls. It was vibrantly cheerful and loud enough to be heard where they stood. Looking over towards the tents, Seren listened and slowly began to hum along, once the melody began to make sense.
"I wonder if there will be dancing," she mused. None among the tables seemed inclined, which was a shame.
I've got to make room for this feeling
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.
Sah returned the smile, also pleased at the guarantee of another meeting. Her curtsy however, made him laugh. "Fair enough. Some of the humanoids of my world were the same when it came to titles and such." He reached for another pastry but made an annoyed squeak as Seren stole from his plate. "Really?" Sah deadpanned but there was still an amused smile present.
Lilly however, happily reached up to take the offered cheese, giving Seren a wag and a lick on the hand in thanks. "Traitor." Sah mumbled but gave Lilly a quick pat on the head anyway. Sah perked up when the music started, eyeing the crowd behind them. "Dancing?" Glancing at Seren with an inquisitive look, he added. "How do humans dance again? I've only see it a few times and for my kind, it generally involved flying so...uh..." He gave a little shrug, the explanation enough to get the point across.
Again that look of wide-eyed innocence. "You took one of mine," she reminded him, while keeping her fingers from the greedy puppy's eager teeth. Ruffling the soft puppy fur on Lilly's scruff, Seren stood back up and turned to Sah.
"You don't know how to dance?" It was more musing than question. Thoughtful, and she gave him a long, speculative look. "Well, humans don't have wings. So there is no flying, obviously. It varies between the dances - there are many different ones - but usually you pair up two and two, hold on to each other, and move the feet in time with the music."
Strange, how difficult it was to explain something that appeared so simple. There was definitely an urge to delve deep into the many types of dance - solitary, line dances, performative types such as the ballet Maeve was teaching her, and the various street versions you could find in different regions... but Seren stopped herself.
"Do... you want to learn?" For once there was no teasing behind the question. Seren's cheeks were actually a little pink, and the offer was tentative. But it was there, along with a glitter in her eyes that could be construed as eagerness. Anticipation?
I've got to make room for this feeling
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.
Sah playfully rolled his eyes. "Yes and you stole my dinner. The point still stands." He teased before listening to her explanation of human dancing. "Sounds similar enough to what we did, just minus the holding on and the addition of flight." He mused, trying to picture what she was describing.
Sah glanced at Seren upon her offer, seeing the genuineness in it. Her slight blush brought some pink to the tips of his own ears and Sah found himself having trouble swallowing for a moment. But he gave a nod and held out his hands to her, palms up. "I'd like that. Teach me?" Sah requested a bit nervously.
He was really stubborn about the food, alright. Seren rolled her eyes in playful exasperation. "Fine. If you say so." She would find a way to even the score, somehow. Even if it involved having to try cook something. Though Seren suspected it might just land her even more in the negative.
When Sah offered his hands out to her, the girl nodded and hesitated only a fraction before taking them. They were big, and warm, and she felt suddenly a lot smaller than normal. Damn him, for being tall enough that she must look up to meet his eyes.
"Alright. Take my right hand like this," she showed how to support her fingers in his palm, just below shoulder height, "and... place your other hand here, on my waist." The color of her cheeks deepened, as Seren guided his hand to her middle. She had to step in closer to do so, and only now did she realize just how little space that was left between them.
"My other hand goes here, on your shoulder, and then... we step to the side." She initiated a little half step to the right. Tentative, to see if he was ready and would follow.
I've got to make room for this feeling
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.
06-24-2021, 01:34 AM (This post was last modified: 06-24-2021, 01:34 AM by Sah.)
I have never feared the storm
Sah felt a small shiver as Seren took his hands. He hadn't realized that the temperature had dropped so much as the sun set. The Outlander did his best to follow her instructions, a look of focus in his eyes. His grip on her hand and waist were firm but gentle as he really wasn't sure what he was doing, and didn't want to hurt her. Though Sah certainly hadn't expected for Seren to draw so close to him for this, but he figured as long as she wasn't uncomfortable it was alright.
As Seren took a step to the right, Sah followed her lead, glancing at the ground to ensure that he didn't step on her toes. After taking the step his eyes met hers. "Like this?" He questioned curiously. Lilly meanwhile decided to simply sit a little ways off and watch. Sah could feel her matching curiosity humming through their bond.
He did not step on her toes, which was a wonderful start. Nor did Seren step on his, and she took this as a sign of encouragement. Playing the part of the instructor kept her mind off the sensation of Sah's hand spreading heat through the thin cloth of her shirt - mostly - and she somehow managed a smile that did not quiver as he sought her gaze for confirmation.
"Yes," she nodded encouragingly. "And then we step twice to the left. And then back." In pace with the rhythm of the distant music, Seren guided the way. "Like so." It was a simple dance, perfect for a beginner - it had a minimum of twists, turns and spins, and was easy to remember. "When you have this down, try turning a little with each step. So we go in a small circle."
It was bound to be wobbly and awkward at first, but she didn't mind. A small smile kept shimmering to life on her face, more vibrant the smoother the steps became. This was fun.
I've got to make room for this feeling
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.
06-24-2021, 01:53 AM (This post was last modified: 06-24-2021, 01:54 AM by Sah.)
I have never feared the storm
Sah bit his lip slightly as he focused, trying to match his movements to Seren's as she guided them. He found himself repeating the steps in his head as they went, until he got the gist of it. Sah still found himself glancing at their feet more often or not, trying to prevent squishing any toes. He did find himself growing smoother and more confident in his movements as they continued to dance through the clearing. Seren's guidance and the distant music were enough to begin bringing out his natural grace.
"I think I've got it down enough to start turning." Sah noted once their movements became acceptably smooth. Of course it was still a bit wobbly and awkward with him being a beginner and all. But at least now they were going through the steps mostly to the beat. Still biting his lip, Sah did find a small smile begin to emerge as he got more comfortable. He was finding that the rhythmic motion was relaxing but fun.
As Sah grew in confidence, Seren learned to relax. While she was not exactly graceful yet, there was a fluidity to her way of moving that had the promise of growing into such in time.
"You're doing great," she praised him, and meant it. "I took ages before I learned to listen to the music." Too occupied with the steps, with not stepping on toes, on doing right so much that she forgot to have fun.
That last part was easy tonight. The enjoyment echoing from her soul drew the curious attention of her dragon, and she sent Umbra a snapshot of the moment. The wolf-pup watching with head tilted in curious confusion, the play of light and shadow over the Meadowreach as torches flickered and the curious way Sah's eyes sometimes came alive in brilliant gold. A disgruntled snort was all she received in return... but the dragon was too busy chasing Sugar's tail to swoop over and mess with the boy. For which Seren was eternally grateful.
"Alright," she agreed softly, when Sah claimed readiness to increase the difficulty more. "Try leading, if you wish? And if you want even more challenge, you can try switching up the tempo of the steps. Slow, quick quick." Seren would do her best to follow.
I've got to make room for this feeling
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.
Sah gave a small smile. "I used to dance back home occasionally." He explained as to why falling into the beat came so quickly for him. Different music, different body, different steps. But the sensation of moving to music, to the echoing beat, was familiar for the Outlander. Upon Seren's offer to let him lead, Sah gave a slightly nervous nod.
Giving a small exhale, he began to lead them around the clearing. Sah had returned to chanting the steps in his head, eyes glancing at the ground often to avoid toes. His eyes were focused as he chose to keep the same tempo until their movements returned to the previous smoothness. "Ok, increased tempo." Sah mumbled before he began to try and follow the the pace. Slow, quick, quick. It was a bit wobbly and awkward again, but they were still moving mostly to the beat.
The intensity of his focus could easily have been comedic. Dancing was hardly a life or death struggle, yet Sah treated it so seriously. But for some reason Seren did not feel like laughing at him. He tried to hard not to mess anything up; seeing it softened any inclination towards impatience before it could even take root.
"It would have been interesting to see those dances," she smiled. "It's too bad we don't have wings, or you could take revenge and make me stumble."
As the tempo increased, the music seemed to swell from the direction of the party. Wobbly and awkward did not make it any less fun to sway along together. As her confidence grew, Seren's hands lost their tension in Sah's grasp and against his shoulder, and quite without noticing it she fitted herself against his chest, to better follow when he turned. Lithe and supple, eyes half closed as she hummed to the simple tune, the girl was too absorbed in the moment to feel embarrassed.
I've got to make room for this feeling
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's comment tugged a small laugh out of Sah. "Perhaps. But maybe we could try to adapt one?" His voice gained a bit of life, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "I could describe what the dance was, the steps, and maybe we could come up with a human version?" Another chuckle left him. "Granted, we'll likely make complete fools of ourselves in the process." Sah warned with a playful grin. Truly, there was no way a human body could move in the same way, or as gracefully, as his kind once did.
Sah's grin turned into a softer smile when Seren drew closer to him. His heartrate temporarily spiked in surprise before calming once more. The Outlander decided that he quite liked this. It reminded him of a hug of sorts, and it had him humming happily.
