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!
Maeve's back hit the ground and Sah finds himself smirking. He stands and turns his eyes to the queen for a moment.
Before she can recover and stand up, he takes a knee at her side and leans over, one hand coming down near her head for balance. Sah tilts his head and smirks sharply at Maeve, "I think that makes it my win, Your Majesty." The words are practically a growl.
Despite himself, Sah does take a moment to enjoy the view from above. The Queen is beautiful and there's no denying that, especially fresh from a spar. Feeling a glint of feral satisfaction of meeting her challenge and beating it, he momentarily forgets about the concept of a filter. One hand reaches to brush the hair from her face, "I quite like seeing you like this..."
Then the words actually process and Sah's eyes go wide as a blush overtakes his face. Rocking back on his heels till he's fully sitting on the ground, one hand comes up to cover his mouth. "Fuck, sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
She can’t even be irritated with him. He bested her. Not that she was ever going to be irritated. Not when he looks at her like that. Smirk predatory and amber eyes glinting. Maeve finds herself breathless for an entirely different reason. Her lips part, a flush high on her cheekbones as she takes a moment to really look at him, jade eyes scanning his features. He’s handsome in a rugged sort of way. Classically, too. A sharp jawline and piercing eyes, plush lips without being too much, a few scars littering his skin beneath his clothes. She knows because she’s seen him naked already. The last time they met. She knows what his body looks like. She’s felt it pressed against her when they’ve sparred.
And then he speaks, reaching out to brush a stray curl from her face, leaving her lips to part and her breath to hitch. The Nightshade isn’t slow on the pickup, but she’s not fast enough to keep him from backpedaling, moving away from her until he’s sitting and she’s left to sit up. Not letting the space grow between them, Maeve reaches forward, seizing his wrist to stop him from going further as she gets to her knees. Pressing between his legs, knees growing damp from the earth where they rest between his feet, Maeve shifts until she’s almost nose to nose with him. ”Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do.” The Nightshade quickly retorts, jade eyes meeting amber, holding them as her head tilts to the side.
A smile curls slowly on her lips, in her element now as her thumb brushes the inside of his wrist, pressing to the fluttering pulse there. ”What exactly do you like about it, hm?” She murmurs, voice dipping into something sultry and sweet, almost teasing as she regards him from beneath her lashes.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
04-26-2022, 09:40 PM (This post was last modified: 04-27-2022, 12:02 AM by Sah.)
Sah
The forest never sleeps and the wolf neve dies
Sah swallows when Maeve grabs him, his eyes locking onto hers. Her words are a surprise, but only mildly. He knows she finds him attractive, but he hadn't thought she'd be ok with such intimacy. But as she thumbs over his pulse and challenges him to own up to his actions, he can't help but accept it as a fact.
Maeve is into him and Sah finds himself at a loss. So, he does what he does best, goes with his instincts. Lips curling back into a smirk, the hand not held by the queen reaches up and cups her face, voice dropping an octave and taking on a slight huskiness. "You are beautiful, intoxicatingly so." Sah brushes his fingers und Maeve's eye. "You're strong and intelligent. And kind."
The Outlander shakes his head helplessly with a chuckle. "How could I not desire you?" Eyes still meeting Maeve's, he leans forward and places a gentle and chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. "But I'd prefer to get to know you better first." His smirk melts into a gentle smile, "I'm not one for casual dalliances."
He doesn't push her away. Instead his lips curl back into that increasingly familiar smirk, hand coming up to cup her cheek for a moment before his finger is tracing across her skin. His words curl around her, drawing her in closer, nose brushing against his as she lets out a breath. "How funny... My name does mean to intoxicate." The Nightshade purrs, a hint of a laugh catching in her throat as she stays caught in his grasp. Her thumb presses with a bit more pressure against his wrist as he leans in, brushing his lips against the corner of her mouth, soft and barely there.
It isn't enough.
Even as his words reach her and sink in. She hears them. She really does and she understands. She's fine with it. Whatever pace they go. Rushing into things hasn't gotten her anywhere good lately. She'll do it his way, but not without more of a taste.
The Nightshade hums at his words, a faint smile curling on painted lips, "Alright... We'll do it your way." Maeve breathes before she's surging forward, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. It isn't soft and sweet like his had been. Nothing about this is chaste. Instead it's all consuming. Maeve brings her hand up to cup his jaw, fingers curling at the back of his skull, pressing into nape as she pulls him closer. Her tongue traces along the seam of his lips, encouraging him to open to her with kitten licks and nips, finally licking into his mouth once he does. She leads him through each second of it, still sweet, but the heat is there.
Only when she's breathless, cheeks flushed and eyes sparking, does the Nightshade pull back. Her forehead staying pressed against his.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
For a moment Sah relaxes, glad that things have been made clear. But then Maeve is leaning in again and Sah is quite sure that he blacks out. Despite having the twins, this is his first kiss. Unless they're counting the very small peck he just gave her. Still, the Outlander finds himself thoroughly enjoying it. He lets Maeve kiss her as she likes, blown away by the mere realization that she wants to kiss him.
Sah does try to follow her lead and mirror her actions, knowing that his inexperience undoubtedly shows to a degree. He's never been so thankful for being a fast learner as he is at this moment. He returns her kiss with just as much enthusiasm and heat, fingers curling in her hair to both keep her close, and to ground himself.
Afterwords, Sah pulls back and drops his head onto Maeve's shoulder, hiding his burning face in the crook of her neck.
"Maeve... You're killing me here." His voice is breathless as he almost gasps for air. His mind is spinning, incapable of processing the last few moments. Was he still breathing? He wasn't sure. Oh well, what a way to die.
He is inexperienced, but that's okay. It doesn't bother Maeve one bit. If anything, she likes it. Revels in it. A soft hum pushes past her lips and into his mouth as his fingers thread through her curls, drawing her closer and she's more than willing to go, pressing into his space until she almost has him flat on the ground. That's where she stays even as the kiss breaks, chest heaving slightly as she draws in greedy breaths through parted lips, pupils blown wide.
A wisp of a laugh falls from her kiss swollen lips, head leaning against his slightly as he buries his face against her neck, fingers flexing against her hip. She tsks softly, shaking her head, "Come now. We can't have that. We're just getting started, love." The Nightshade murmurs, smile evident in her voice as her accent thickens over her words, drawing them out while her fingers skate across the skin of his throat to linger over his fluttering pulse.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Sah chuckles low in his throat, "Can you blame me? I've never kissed anyone before now." Not in Caido or in his original world. Kissing wasn't really a thing for his species after all. Still red in the ears he tilts his head slightly and nips her neck in revenge before drawing back.
Meeting her eyes, Sah raises one of his brows. "And I'm quite sure this doesn't count as going slow." He gestures vaguely to their current position with one hand while the other firmly but gently holds her hip. "Not that I'm complaining. Still...." Sah sits up and adjusts his grip, pulling her close till Maeve is all but curled up in his lap with one of his arms around her waist
He looks up at her, still blushing slightly, "Tell me about yourself?" Sah tilts his head, voice soft and curious. There's so much he doesn't know about Torchline's queen. So much he wants to know.
Now, the Nightshade knew that he likely hadn't done much kissing. It was easy to pick up on with her experience, but Maeve doesn't mind. It's been a while since she's even done anything with someone who was inexperienced. Maeve huffs a soft laugh, fingers slipping through his hair as he nips at her throat gently, but she still shivers from it. "I'm your first kiss then?" Maeve purrs, a playful smirk curling on her lips, nudging her nose against his once he pulls back, tempted to dip in for another kiss.
She's about to argue that this position is just fine and they're certainly still going slow, but he suddenly scoops her into his arms, shifting her easily. Maeve lets out a surprised yelp that melts into a giggle, arms looping around his neck as he settles her against his chest, cradling her in his arms. The Nightshade doesn't hesitate leaning into him, dropping her head against his shoulder for a moment, simply enjoying his warmth in the slight chill of the forest.
"Where to even begin..." Maeve murmurs, unsure what he actually wants to know. "I'm a parent too. I have a little boy, Edmund. He's about seven." She lets her fingers trail along his arm, fingers finding his and lacing through them, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I used to work at the Halenani as a courtesan and a Madame. Now I just run it. I don't really take clients anymore." Though, there are times that she thinks it would be easier if that's how she handled her relationships. "What do you want to now?" Maeve laughs, a slight flush rising on her cheeks as jade meets amber.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Sah hums, enjoying the sensation of Maeve's hands in his hair. "You are. My species didn't exactly kiss." They had had no need and frankly he has trouble even picturing how that would even work for them. He figures he's better off not thinking about it.
The Abandoned lets out a pleased rumbling noise when Maeve settles into his arms. It's a pleasant surprise that the queen lets him move her as he pleases. Especially since it's so much easier to hug her like this. Listening to Maeve speak, he happily squeezes her hand back. His other arm remains curled around her waist in a gentle hold. His lips twitch as she speaks about Edmund. Her love of her son is clear from her voice.
Sah feels a slight burst of jealousy at the mention of her once taking clients but practically slaps it away just as it rears its head. He'll never judge her or any aspect of her past relationships. He refuses to be that person. Though the Abandoned suspects it'll take some practice to control that possessive instinct.
Maeve's question is fair. He'd asked something quite open ended. Humming, Sah nuzzles her neck as thinks about just what he wants to know. "What are some of your favorite things?" That was an innocent one that could say a lot about someone's personality. "Do you have any dreams or ambitions that you're working towards?"
A dark brown arches and she can’t help the soft laugh that pushes past her lips. ”Thsts right. You’re not from here. What was your home like before?” Maeve asks, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck for a few breaths.
Those questions are much easier for her to wrap her head around and she smiles softly, allowing her fingers to continue their idle tracing along the back of his neck. ”I love to garden and dance.” Maeve murmurs, drawing back enough that she might meet his amber gaze, a relaxed ease on her features that she doesn’t recall being there in some time. ”I’m also an avid reader. Especially poetry.” It was probably what she read the most of aside from the various books on plants and herbs. Their uses and the best ways to grow them. As for her dreams? Well, that’s something else entirely and it gives her pause.
”It feels hard to have dreams with the war looming over us the way it is.” A heavy sigh pushes past her lips and a crease forms between her brows. The sense of ease momentarily shattered as she feels anxiety twist in her gut, ”Before my dreams were simple. I wanted a family. Stability. I suppose I have that now to an extent. I always wanted to be a mother. Desperately. To have someone to share my nights with. Little mundane moments full of love. Now?” She pauses, shaking her head as her bottom lip catches between her teeth. ”Now I just dream of keeping my region safe and making it through this war.”
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
05-16-2022, 12:46 AM (This post was last modified: 05-16-2022, 12:55 AM by Sah.)
Sah
The forest never sleeps and the wolf neve dies
Tingles race down Sah's spine in the best way as Maeve plays with his hair. The mention of his homeland pulls a wistful smile from him. "Full of snow and magic. Similar to the draig in climate actually. But beautiful and wild. My kind originated from there and we never left." Why would they of? Snow was the best.
A small smile stretches across his face as Maeve relaxes and talks about her hobbies. It makes something both tender and proud well up in Sah that the queen feels so comfortable in his hold. Gardening, dancing, and poetry: Sah commits them all to memory. "Those fit you." Nurturing, lithe, and intellectual were all words that could be used to describe the queen. The mental image of her dancing causes his memory of her in the waves to surface. Sah quickly pushes it away lest he turn bright red again.
Then she tenses and Sah feels slightly regretful of his second question. The anxiety on Maeve's face is clear. Humming slightly, the hand on her waist begins to rub soothing circles as she speaks. "It does feel hard. But someone one told me that dreams are a manifestation of hope. If you lose one, you lose the other." The dreams Maeve describes are full of warmth and love and they echo his own. "Those are good dreams. I dream of keeping my loved ones happy and safe above all else."
Sah's eyes are drawn to where Maeve bites her lip. Brow furrowing at the clear sign of stress, he acts impulsively. The hand threaded with hers disengages and comes up to hold the back of her nek gently. Doing a small crunch to reach her, Sah kisses her softly. It's more of an act of comfort and intimacy then lust. As such, it's gently, and with careful precision that he teases her lip away from where she's biting it.
"That sounds lovely. No wonder you favor Halo." Maeve laughs softly, nails scratching his scalp lightly, a smile curling on her lips as she looks up at him. "I've only been to Halo a ew times, but maybe I'll have to come and visit. Let you show me the true joys of snow." Her jade eyes meet his, head tilting to the side as she puts out the invitation to him, hoping that he'll take the bait.
Maeve feels a slight flush rise on her cheeks at his words. Simple and to the point, but they make her stomach flutter none the less. "Thank you... Those are some of the few things that actually bring me any sort of comfort currently." That much is clear as the conversation shifts away from that to a more serious topic.
A faint smile manages to find her lips for the span of a breath, but it falter after she speaks, "That's a lovely thought." The Nightshade murmurs, but that stress doesn't slip away from her features. It clings to the crease between her brow and the way she holds her shoulders, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she remains rigid in his arms despite the soothing circles he starts to rub against her hip.
This kiss surprises her. Sweet and unexpected, chasing away that unease that clings to her bones, melting out of her slowly as a breath exhales into his mouth when his teeth draw her lip from between her own. A quiet sound slips past her lips, building up in her chest as she relaxes again, pulled from her own mind once more.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
The idea of converting Maeve from a beach lover to being a snow advocate makes Sah chuckle. "Gladly. I'll show you the error of your ways thus far." He notes her invitation and although he's not sure if he's interpreting it correctly, the Outlander leans in and nuzzles her neck softly before pulling back.
As he does, he sees her cheeks darken and Sah can't help but smirk slightly. "You're welcome." It amuses him that the things that make her blush are so innocent when she barely bats an eye at things that would often make him others turn bright red. He's just glad that he does have a means of flustering her, even if it's unconventional.
Where a soothing hand fails, his boldness succeeds. As Maeve begins to fully relax once more, Sah feels a brief thrill of victory. Smiling against her lips, he continues to kiss her softly before pulling away from her lips to leave scattered kisses across her cheeks, and finally giving one last peck to her forehead.
Tilting his head, he eyes her more relaxed state and hums to himself, "That's better."
That is not a normal tree and you well know it. Whether you’re just passing by or if you’re here to try and gather some of her sap, all I can tell you is that you’re going to absolutely have a bad time if you try and fuck with this tree.
You’ve encountered a Wicker Woman. This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements. You may not kill your rare creature without admin permission.
Wicker Woman (rare/mythical): Whilst the name suggests a person, this is actually a species of tree. The Wicker Woman has gnarled and twisted branches which will fold gently around anything that brushes past it. Whilst it causes no harm, it is incredibly difficult to escape its embrace, and travellers have starved to death in the past after becoming snared by it. The sap of the Wicker Woman is rumoured to be a potent hallucinogenic.
