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!
The tap has stopped running, but now there is the furious sound of scrubbing within the bathroom as Tobi approaches. "Okay," Finn says in the same tight voice that suggets a tenuous control of things at best. "I'm going to... I need to, because they... I just... I'll be a few more minutes, Tobi," he grates out at last, and if anything the sound of cleaning behind the bathroom door becomes all the more ferocious.
And that's exactly where Finn stays for best part of the next hour, during which time Ever and Mateo have absolutely settled down to have their sleepover (which largely involves Mateo trying and failing not to fall asleep). The apartment is quiet by the time he finally emerges, with wet patches on the knees of his pants and on sleeves that have been hastily shoved up to the elbows. Finn's hands and fingers are raw and there's still dried blood on his lips, the Spyglass moving as if in a dream back to the table, as if there might be a conversation there for him to continue.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
They what, she wants to ask, but for now she decides to simply let Finn be.
Having fixed the boys a bedtime snack (how they could still be hungry is beyond her), Tobi has cleaned up every remnant of dinner save for the centrepiece. It's as if the whole thing had never happened, but of course, as Finn emerges looking like a ghost, she knows that isn't the case. Not the type to run to the Spyglass and kiss the blood from his lips, the doctor instead quickly looks him over before disappearing toward one of their closets only to return with a small kit of first aid supplies.
Sitting down next to Finn, trying to make as little noise as was possible, Tobi pulls out a bottle of medical-grade lotion. "Can I see your hands?" She asks soothingly, able to smell the bleach and gods knew what other chemicals wafting off of him.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
Gods, but Finn wishes she'd run to him to kiss the blood from his lips. He tracks Tobi's movements around the apartment with a gaze that can't keep still, the Spyglass swallowing hard through a dry and burning throat as she comes to sit down beside him. Closing his eyes and nodding, he silently offers out his hands for her inspection, wanting nothing more than to slump against her warmth and wrap himself up in the moments before the evening had started.
"I'm sorry," he says quietly instead. "For everything. I know I am not... what most people would expect, or want, and I don't..." Exhaling his false start with a muscle feathering in his jaw, he tries again. "I don't want you to feel like you have to do this. To be with me, or to put up with me. You don't have to."
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
Gently and with expert precision, Tobi applies the balm. Someone else might have hissed at the extent of how much damage Finn had managed in such a short amount of time, but then Tobi had been there to witness moments much darker than this. With a coating of non-scented cream that was sure to be stinging by now, Tobi begins to shake her head to cut off Finn's apology, only to find it going a completely different direction.
"Finn," Tobi whispers, reaching out her hand to cup the flexing muscles of his jaw to direct his gaze back to her. "Finn...I don't feel that way at all. You aren't..." Now it's her turn to fail to find the words. Only..that isn't quite true, and though this was never how she planned on telling him (if indeed she planned on it at all), Tobi finds herself smiling. "I love you, Finn." She says, a touch shyly perhaps, though her shiny eyes and round cheeks very much suggest she doesn't regret this admission.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
It does sting - a lot, as it happens, but Finn almost relishes the burning in his chapped skin as something worth it. If it hurts it means he's managed to put some effort in, and he'll almost resent it when Tobi goes to bandage him up. But she's not reaching for bandages; no, suddenly her hand is against his cheek, and the warmth and softness of her fingers has him unconsciously leaning into the touch.
You don't have to, he wants to say again as weary stormy eyes meet her gaze. It's okay not to want this. But that isn't what's happening at all, and the mental whiplash from his expectations is such that it entirely blanks out his mind. The last time someone had placed love upon his shoulders, the circumstances had been vastly different. It had still been transactional, and it had felt greasy and wrong, like a weight he'd been forced to drag around and show people.
This feels light. It feels like a hiccup in the back of his throat, like a smile he can't keep to himself, and Tobi will see it all over Finn's face as the seconds draw on. The realisation, the oh gods oh fuck I haven't said anything back has it been too long have I messed it up do I just say thanks or do I ask why or is that too weird shut up Finn it's always too weird because it's you and you just--
It's a small mercy that Finn's body cuts off his mind in the way that he leans in to close the distance between himself and the doctor. His kisses smell like bleach and taste like copper, and he can't do anything with his hands because Tobi has covered them in ointment, which Finn feels is hilariously unfair.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
He doesn't say anything, which is par for the course with Finn. Had Tobi been expecting him to say those three little words back, she might have been disappointed. But precisely because it wasn't transactional, because her love didn't rest on anything Finn might do or not do in the following moments, the doctor merely gazes warmly into the Spyglass's face as he processes. (Or panics). As he Finns.
Indeed the doctor does taste copper in Finn's kiss, and though it isn't the sort of thing she enjoys, it's easy enough to overlook. Leaning closer and stretching her fingertips so that they just tangle in Finn's curls, Tobi hums a note of utter bliss into their kiss as her tongue offers up soft reassurances against his own. "What do you think?" Tobi asks after a moment, her words said lazily and her smile crooked. "Time for bed?"
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
Finn melts into her touch in a way he's never quite done before, sinking into the gentle fingers in his hair, into the soft press of her lips against his own, and he's almost dizzy with it. It's like getting too close to a fire, or closing one's eyes after having too much to drink, except instead of discomfort or nausea, the Spyglass is nearly giddy with the sensation. "Mm...?" His eyes blink open and he gives her a lopsided smile for her trouble.
"I am so tired," he whispers. "But could we wrap my hands up please? I'd like to touch you, if that's okay." Bed, though. That sounds blissful. "Thank you for tonight," he adds, before the words flee him. "Even if thinks went sideways at the end, I really enjoyed dinner."
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
Blinking a few times and having to press her lips together to keep from laughing, Tobi pulls back enough to realize that Finn's hands are hovering awkwardly in the air around her. Unable to remember a time when Finn had asked to touch her in quite this way, she clears her throat and blushes. Had she any idea that this might have been prompted by a comment Remi had made, Tobi would have told Finn that he could absolutely keep his hands to himself and that there was no need. "Of course." She mumbles, distracted by the heat in her cheeks and the blue of Finn's eyes. Twisting to reach for a coated gauze, Tobi begins to bandage Finn's hands, mumbling apologies for the pain she was surely causing him.
"Dinner parties usually have a few hiccups." Tobi replies with a soft shrug of her shoulders as if bathroom sex and murderous houseguests were an expected part of having people over. "I enjoyed dinner too. The meal was wonderful." She adds, beaming at Finn regardless of whether he thought he deserved the praise.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
On the contrary - Remi is the farthest thing from Finn's mind right now, and even as Tobi bandages his hands (which does hurt, and that can't be denied), all he can think about is the flush of her cheeks and the warmth of her voice and everything that he doesn't think he's ever found with anyone else. "They do? I wish someone had told me prior to the party," Finn remarks dryly, raising his eyebrows at Tobi as if asking whether this was her job.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he murmurs; and tomorrow, Tobi can find all of the orzo from Finn's practice runs, and they'll be fed until Longheat. For now, though, once his hands are safely wrapped up, he rises to his feet and offers out an arm for Tobi to tuck herself beneath on the way to the bedroom. "Time for bed," he agrees with her belatedly. "I didn't think I would be able to sleep, but I think I will be alright." Thanks to you, obviously.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
'Ooops.' The doctor chuckles in response. "Well, now you know for next time." She adds, giving his hands a gentle pat to indicate that the bandaging process is over.
Stretching an arm across his back and fitting neatly against him, Tobi happily lets Finn lead her to the bedroom. "Maybe we can renovate that bathroom." She murmurs casually as they pass by the door. "I've always wanted to fit a bigger bathtub in there." It's true; Tobi would love a bathtub to sink into, but the offer is meant to be more sly than that. A we can knock the whole thing down to get rid of whatever you'll be able to feel in there. Finn's happiness and sanity were worth much more to her than four walls and a bit of renovation clutter.
Not even bothering to turn the light on as they enter, the doctor releases Finn to begin the annoying task of unzipping herself out of her dress.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
"Next time." Finn says the words with the air of someone trying to enjoy something they don't like, or someone who has received a gift they don't understand, and that's about all Tobi will get from him on the topic. He wrinkles his nose at the bathroom door as they walk past it though, like there really might be a ghost haunting it now (one that wasn't there at the beginning of the night) and he nods absently.
"Not for at least a day, though," he says of the renovations, as if they might spontaneously begin now that they've decided it. "It's very clean right now." And chafing his hands raw on chemicals needs to have at least 24hours of it being worth it, in Finn's opinion.
Letting Tobi go, Finn clicks the bedroom door shut behind them and instantly works to remove the tie that has been strangling him for some time, unbuttoning and dragging off his shirt as well. They don't deserve the effort of being folded, and anything that ends up on the floor has been predestined to be thrown out - and thus, Finn's outfit is judged accordingly.
Only once he has condemned everything but his underwear to the floor trash does he approach Tobi in the warm darkness, clearing his throat to let her know where he is, even as his hands seek to help unzip her dress. "Is this alright?" he asks, shifting to let the material drop away whenever she's ready.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
"That's fine with me." Tobi says of postponing their spontaneous renovation. "Ever will owe you a chore. It was his job to clean the bathroom tomorrow." She muses, sounding parental and adoring, and though she hasn't been in the bathroom since Finn Finn'd it, she believes him without question.
Glancing over her shoulder as Finn moves to stand behind her, stripped down to just his underwear which should seem boyish but doesn't the doctor nods. "Mmm. Thank you." She agrees, letting her hands fall away. Given that Tobi's dress is not meant for the trash (it being one of Sera's that she borrowed), she holds it by the straps as she steps out of it. In just her underwear now as well, the dress not requiring a bra, Tobi carefully places the dress on a hanger before turning and offering Finn a smile that's a touch coy. "Will you hand me my sleeping shirt?" She asks, inclining her head toward the bed.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
"He can dust," Finn decides all too easily, that being the chore which stresses him out the most. (The dust gets everywhere and it creates more dust, and even though they clean regularly enough for it not to be a problem it still feels unnecessarily frustrating for him). He's still thinking about it - duh - when Tobi is suddenly before him again, the Spyglass nodding easily and reaching to pass her the garment.
Before she can draw it over her head, though, Finn shakes himself into action and steps forward to close the distance between them. Drawing her against his bare chest, he lets his arms fold around her such that their combined warmth will radiate out into them both. "I am bad at putting feelings into words," he says quietly, like this might be a revelation for Tobi somehow. "And I do not... I cannot tell if I have ever loved anyone. I wouldn't know how to say it, because I don't have a comparison.
"But the way I feel about you is different to everyone else. You are important to me, and I care about you a lot. And I just... I wanted you to know."
11-28-2021, 01:39 AM (This post was last modified: 11-28-2021, 01:42 AM by October.)
October
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
"Dusting it is." Reaching for the shirt—a well-worn thing that might once have been black but was now the faded colour of nothing—Tobi feels bandaged hands around her and sips in a surprised breath as she's pulled against Finn. Suddenly all too aware of the fact that they're both topless and that her nipples press against him before any other part of her does, Tobi swallows as she looks up into his face.
Shocked not only by the content of what Finn has to say but how succinctly he actually manages it, Tobi releases the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she slips her arms around his neck. "I appreciate that." She whispers as if speaking too loudly might somehow break the spell that must have fallen over Finn. "It's okay if you don't know if you love me. It's even okay if you know that you don't. I only said it because...it was easier than explaining that I don't care what most people are like, and that I want and like being with you. That you never have to be sorry for the way you are." Pausing, she stands on her tiptoes. "Even when there are hiccups." She adds, the laughter in the back of her throat making the words feel buoyant in her mouth.
"But...thank you. That...." Blushing, Tobi tries to swallow her smile if only to finish her sentence. "...it's really nice to hear."
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
