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!
And if the sky grows heavy wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright
Dusk was threatening away the evening with deep purples and blues that bruised the sky. Already the moon was high and full, but up here as high as they were, the world felt far brighter than it had any right to be.
Standing on the edge of the cliff with his arms stretched out, Remi looks no more worried about the deathly drop to his right than a boy might when practicing tight-rope walking just a foot or so above the ground. Placing one foot carefully in front of the other, shadow-less the Lullaby is backlit by the moon making his edges appear silvery and sharp.
"The Flowerbirth god self-stranded in the desert." He mutters with a laugh. "Of all the things to find in that hole...I did not see that one coming."
If the ground gives way beneath us, If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"It is one of the weirder adventures we've had," Ronin agrees, turning his head to look at Remi. He is, of course, lounging on his nimbus a ways out from the Leap of Faith, watching his husband bathed in moonlight and tiptoeing along the edge of nothing. Remi is like something out of a fairytale (though whether he is a good guy or a bad one is very much up for interpretation, as it should be), and Ronin is as bewitched by him now as in any other situation.
"So we just need to water him and he'll come back here?" It's a fair assumption, based on what Safrin had said, he thinks. "It seems like we're going to have a fairly busy Leafchange, doesn't it?" Draping an arm over his eyes and groaning, Ronin nonetheless knows he'll end up embracing it. With Remi, of course.
And if the sky grows heavy wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright
"Sounds like." The Lullaby says with a nod of his head; a too-hard nod as it turns out, because his arms suddenly splay so that he doesn't go tumbling over the edge. How far would he let himself fall, before sprouting wings and catching himself one might wonder. Even Remi doesn't know, but perhaps we'll all find out together. "I suppose it makes sense...but why not call for help? Can the seasonal gods not...speak to one another the way heralds can?" It doesn't really matter, he supposes, but up here so high above the entirety of Caido (or so it feels), what matters and what doesn't seems irrelevant.
"I wonder if you and I could have an ability like that." Remi says suddenly, glancing out across the nothing towards where his husband relaxes. "To be able to speak regardless of distance." Flashing the Huntsman a wry smile, Remi continues along the narrow line of stones. "All the things I could whisper to you, regardless of where you were. Cose meravigliose e sporche."
If the ground gives way beneath us, If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"I guess not? I mean... the Eirachi knew that Tanau was in trouble, but I don't know if that was because they could speak to each other." Letting his arm drop away again, Ronin furrows his brow and looks up at the stars beginning to peep out through the sky. "Maybe it's something worth asking them, if we ever need to get a seasonal god on side. Speaking of which... do you think they would help with the war...?"
In terms of new abilities for the two of them, though, Ronin tilts his head as he considers it. "While the idea of you whispering filthy things into my head is definitely tempting, I think we've realised over the years that just being able to speak to each other isn't enough. Though it would be good in an emergency."
And if the sky grows heavy wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright
The question genuinely seems to surprise Remi, who turns with subtle grace on the ball of one food to regard his husband. "I....would never ask one to." He replies, looking suddenly serious. There's a faint flush on his cheeks, but it's the stillness of his face that seems to speak of upset more than any obvious facial movements. Through the bond Ronin will no doubt feel something cold and sleek, like quicksilver brought to life. "The stronger we become, the more like them I think we are...and gods but I hate being called on. I can only imagine they feel the same." It was entirely possible that they didn't though, and that Remi's lack of altruism was a unique trait among the very strong.
Smiling again, Remi goes back to his pacing. "We could...try and swap places with one another? Like you can with your duplicate. Or just bring each other to where we are?" The alchemist suggests, and though such a thing would no doubt be useful in tricky situations, he was of course only thinking of all the mischievous ways in which he might utilize such an ability.
If the ground gives way beneath us, If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Ah," says Ronin, somewhat unhelpfully. As he feels the flush of upset radiate down the bond, though, he rolls onto his stomach and guides his nimbus closer to where Remi is tiptoeing along the side of the cliff. "That is a scary thought," he mumbles, rubbing a hand over the scruff on his chin. "And I guess it might be the case for some of them...? The Eirachi is always trying to make a deal, though, so maybe she won't mind being called."
That doesn't really help with his husband's feelings, though. Holding out a hand for the Lullaby, whether or not it's to help steady him or to playfully tug him onto the nimbus is sort of up to Remi. "Aw, so we can rescue each other when we need it the most?" he suggests with a grin. "Or we can be rescued by each other? I like it, either way."
03-01-2022, 04:14 PM (This post was last modified: 03-01-2022, 04:14 PM by Remi.)
the lullaby
And if the sky grows heavy wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright
Holding out his fingers without his balance changing even in the slightest (suggesting that ever previous warble and bobble had been entirely theatrical), Remi hops forward to land on the nimbus with the side of his hip while forcing Ronin to still haul him up. Could he have made the jump on his own? Of course he could have.
"I wonder if Safrin would go for it..." Remi murmurs thoughtfully as he adjusts himself comfortably at Ronin's side. "..I assume it would be some sort of joint quest with you and I. Though...speaking of, I did go and speak to Ludo about the hourglass. The components I need are relatively simple, save for one which requires Sunjata's participation." Letting his shoulders rise and fall while he huffs a sound of muted annoyance, Remi raises his eyes to offer the Huntsman a crooked smile.
"I do need something from you, if you would be willing." He adds as he lifts a single finger that quickly becomes clawed. "I am willing to compensate you for any pain it causes, of course." Remi adds with a grin.
If the ground gives way beneath us, If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
03-01-2022, 05:15 PM (This post was last modified: 03-01-2022, 05:19 PM by Ronin.)
RONIN
THE DARK STAR
"Hup," says Ronin, elegant as ever as he tries to haul Remi up and onto the nimbus beside him. With a lopsided smile, he stretches an arm around the other man and lets them glide a few feet further out across the Leap of Faith once the Lullaby is settled, swinging his legs from the fluffy cloud.
"Oh, she absolutely wouldn't go for it. Not unless we gave her practical reasons why it would be silly not to bother," he says with a soft laugh, shaking his head and nuzzling against the other man's curls. The other quest has him perking up, however, even if the appearance of a clawed finger already has Ronin guessing at what was needed.
"Once upon a time I might have been able to make it easier to get Sunjata's participation, but not any more. Sorry." With an apologetic smile, he holds out his hand. "Do your worst, but remember you must kiss it better."
And if the sky grows heavy wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright
The texture of being on a cloud is a bit hard to describe. Marshmellow-y but firm, it's a bit like being on a waterbed made of cotton. 'Maybe you could pitch it to her that...in moments when you were in danger, you could bring me to you to use as shield? So that you stay safe?" Remi's voice rises at the end as his nose crinkles. He knows what a weak argument this is, but he also knows that Safrin's dislike of him runs deep enough that she might buy the excuse anyway.
'That is okay. I sent him a letter asking him to meet and talk about it. If Nate or he dies, this would work for them too, so...I am hoping he agrees for selfish reasons." As Remi shrugs, there is a dark twitch that passes through the emotional current that connects them. A twitch that very much implies that if selfishness is not enough to motivate the Flood, that there are other ways in which Remi might persuade him.
'Oh?' Grinning, Remi gently runs a fingertip along Ronin's palm before giving his head a slight shake. "Fast as you can heal, I have never understood why palms are always cut for this sort of thing." So saying he twists at Ronin's side to roll up his husband's sleeve. His bicep would bleed enough and would be a far less annoying injury. Leaning forward to press his lips against Ronin's just as his claw cleaved apart his husband's skin, it would be with a soft moan of appreciation into the Huntsman's mouth that Remi would open a wound just large enough for his purposes.
If the ground gives way beneath us, If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"A human shield? I suppose you sacrificing yourself for me would be me killing you, sort of, so maybe she'd agree on the basis that you might die?" Ronin raises his eyebrows. He's equally skeptical, and he also hates thinking about that sort of stuff, truth be told. So when Remi rolls up his sleeve and sidles closer, Ronin is all too eager to meet his lips.
Warm and pliant against his husband, still the Huntsman tenses dramatically as he feels the claw press into his skin, as if it's a grievous wound rather than something he'd barely notice on a good day. "Well, if he doesn't agree, I'm sure we can persuade him," he murmurs into the kiss, unintentionally echoing his husband's thoughts.
Drawing back and gazing across at his husband, he nods as if to say to collect the blood before he gets entirely derailed by Remi's presence.
And if the sky grows heavy wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright
"That would be the hope." Remi agrees, assuming somewhere that Safrin was listening in, but thinking that the potential for his death was probably enough to get her onside.
To the surprise of no one, Remi's pulse quickens and his pupils dilate behind closed eyelids as the taste of Ronin mixes with the smell of the Huntsman's blood. Stiffening in more ways than one, it's with flushed cheeks and a boyish look of restraint that he pulls back. Creating a vial from a memory, Remi catches a few droplets of his husband's blood before wiping away the excess with fingers that are suddenly feathered instead of clawed. 'This gets us one step closer to my Draig lunch date.' He murmurs as his fingers still whisk lovingly across Ronin's skin, imparting his appreciation and (problematic) bloodlust at the same time.
If the ground gives way beneath us, If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Problematic or not, it's still his husband, and Ronin watches with little more than mild curiosity as Remi collects the droplets of his blood and whisks featherlight fingers across the wound. "Mm, we'll be there before you know it." He smiles, leaning in to press another kiss to the other man's nose. "I'll be doing some research about the place. I thought I'd use Stormbreak's library, and the Greatwood's as well. Maybe I'll ask around to see if anyone knows more about the Cordillera, too."
It sounds like a lot of work, but in truth Ronin can probably get it all done in a day or two given that he can forego the need to sleep at any point. "Until then, though, shall we have a mini date here? I hear the views are breathtaking once you get through the mist." Tugging Remi closer, he's almost in the Huntsman's lap when Ronin steals a third kiss from his lips.
And if the sky grows heavy wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright
"Finn might." Is all the alchemist can think to say on the subject of the Cordillera and research. Truthfully it's all he wants to say, what with the smell of Ronin's skin and blood somehow rendered all the more sweet for the starlight growing brighter and brighter as the minutes pass.
'I am not sure it is the views that are breathtaking.' Remi manages to whisper before he's half astride the Huntsman, with only one knee anchored onto the cloud and his hands wrapped around Ronin's shoulders. Pulling back, his eyes closed and his muscles tight with restraint, Remi exhales a shivery breath before slowly opening his eyes. "There must be something in the air." He chuckles almost apologetically despite sneaking a hand down Ronin's lower back to grip possessively at his husband's shirt.
If the ground gives way beneath us, If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Finn?" Ronin repeats, barely hearing the Spyglass's name as he presses himself closer to the Lullaby. He's not used to hearing Finn's name unless it's on the back of some drama or another, and he's surprised by realising (belatedly) that it's a very helpful suggestion. Rather than saying as much, though, Ronin merely hums his agreement against Remi's lips, slipping his arms around him even as the nimbus begins to cruise out and over the Leap of Faith.
"I don't think there's anything in the air besides you and I," he says, his voice little more than a wicked purr as he draws back a fraction. "Don't blame the Leap of Faith for you being so irresistible." Bouncing his eyebrows at the other man, he flumps back onto the nimbus so he might pull Remi on top of him. With the time of year that's fast approaching, this kind of behaviour wouldn't be unusual.
