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!
01-02-2023, 04:56 PM (This post was last modified: 01-02-2023, 05:25 PM by Royal.)
Royal
it's not too late to die for a reason fall down on the sword you were swinging
If someone had warned him of the bitter cold sloshing across the entirety of Caido like an errant wave, he would have stayed well and truly away from the blustering surface beyond The Climb. In fact, it wasn’t even in Royal’s nature to go about “exploring” unless that all-too familiar itch came calling. It sat heavy even now, roiling insistently in his gut as he gazed out over the hot springs resting calmly before him. The heat they produced appeared to coil and writhe above the pools like ghostly specters that drew his lazy gaze from one end of the cavernous space to the other. He’d have to go back up eventually to gather winter gear, supplies, that kind of thing… but just maybe not today. Tomorrow surely.
He’d grown quite restless since the beginning of the frost had arrived, but Royal had also done little to prepare for the plummeting temperatures. Which was proving to be a problem. Assuming it was just his apathetic nature behind the blatant procrastination, he’d chosen the soothing comfort of the hot springs over prepping any type of meaningful provisions. It'd seemed acceptable when it’d come to him initially.
But maybe not so much now that the cold was upon them...
Still, the desire to do more than languish in the heat of Frey’s Breath was minimal and there simply wasn’t any convincing Royal to do otherwise.
He’d dropped a heavy backpack full of travel items some ways behind him at the entrance of the springs and kicked off a pair of trainers next to it. He hadn't come to soak that day, but had pulled the bottoms of a pair of faded denim jeans just below the knee just in case. As he pressed into the shallows of a nearby hot spring, he released a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, a hand moving to run carelessly through dark, windswept hair. It’d been a long time since he’d just been able to be. If he wasn’t looking after Oli, looking for Oli, or just being too damn generally concerned about her wellbeing, he was tending to his own inherent needs. His sibling had become the ruler of his life when they were young and it was an odd experience to move into adulthood without her. What the hell was there to do now that he wasn't occupied making all of her decisions? He supposed he'd get it figured out at some point or another. It was just a matter of time.
I wanted to dress a blade up in red with both of our necks But I wasn't able, and I wasn't stable
Oof, this was not great. Bear with me until I learn to write humans. X.X Open for anyone!
In contrast to Royal, Hotaru is the type to adventure, regardless - or heedless - of weather. Ever since becoming Headmistress of the Academy, cold has bothered her even less than before, so is there any better time than winter to seek out the heat of the hotsprings? No? Well, she's here anyway. Bikini clad and all.
Now mind you she has the decency to have worn a gauzy wrap over her waist, but as she strolls into the main cavern it is already halfway off her thighs and into one hand before she realizes she is not alone. There is a sharp flare of temper that is assuaged only by willpower and - after a blink or two - the realization that her unwitting new companion is rather handsome, horns and all.
Admittedly, Hotaru has not been her normal flirtatious self in quite a long time however, so it's a small bit of intrigue at best. Setting her own things down, she approaches from the opposite side; the spring he'd chosen is large enough for them to share without interacting, but she gives him respect enough to ask. "Afraid you've chosen the best one here, mind sharing?" Golden brow arches slightly as her bare feet move to the very edge of the spring almost tauntingly, daring him to try and deny her.
Pull you in, but don't you get too close Love you now, but not tomorrow
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
it's not too late to die for a reason fall down on the sword you were swinging
If Royal had been anticipating the company, perhaps he would have taken further measures to come prepared. But wasn’t that just the theme of the day? His utter unwillingness to make life any easier by actually thinking ahead? He reasoned it was a fair assumption that those actions would one day come back to bite him in the ass, but he wasn’t prepared for the consequences to come so soon.
It all seemed to happen so very slowly, or quickly, depending on how one looked at it. But to Royal, he was participating in “well-meaning futuristic planning” one minute and admiring the shapely legs of a blonde bombshell the next. He was definitely slow on the upstart, but after falling prey to what surely any hot-blooded man would go weak in the knees for, Royal faced off with a pair of heterochromatic eyes. His gaze drifted between the vibrant jewel color of one green eye until he landed back within the realm of storm-cloud gray. Fascinating. Startling and stunning all at once, it took him a moment to understand that the young woman meant to join him.
As she edged her way toward the opposite mouth of the pool, her brow lifted in mock challenge, Royal couldn’t help but grin back at her. He enjoyed confidence. It was a powerful personality trait.
“Be my guest. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling your fun.”
He gestured broadly to the pool at large before easing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. It was an open stance that beckoned her, a silent invitation of sorts to engage with if she so desired. Because even though his words were peddled in casual fashion, there was a slight edge to their delivery that may as well have been an answer to her earlier challenge.
As he considered her more at length, with a healthy amount of raw male appreciation, Royal meandered aimlessly deeper into the hot spring until the water lapped gently against his shins. He wasn’t entirely certain what his next move would be now that his quiet moments of contemplation had come to an end, but he wasn’t complaining. Maybe the new plan would be to fly by the seat of his pants after all… It was working well enough anyway.
Hotaru - Honest to god I still have to figure out how to tag you OUTSIDE of the table. XD
I wanted to dress a blade up in red with both of our necks But I wasn't able, and I wasn't stable
Just as his eyes slowly travel the length of her, so too do hers in tandem. By time their eyes meet, her heterochromatic irises investigating the way the steam clouds his own honey shades, there is a blatantly appreciative tilt to her golden brows. Shame he did not appear to come with soaking in mind, she would have appreciated the chance to ogle more bare skin.
His response - and the lovely, crooning voice it comes on - has a vixen’s smile creasing her lips. Beginning to descend into the pool, her eyes flutter slightly at the pleasant warmth that soaks immediately into her legs; it gives her a catlike expression of contentment as a tiny laugh hums in her chest. “Well then, thank you for the invitation.” As she opens her eyes more fully, pausing in her decadence, she smirks at him. “But if you wouldn’t dream of spoiling my fun, what would you dream of?” She casts it out like bait on a line, hoping to reel him in, get him talking. She hasn’t flirted in years it feels like, but it’s as natural to her as breathing.
Lifting her hands, she begins pulling her long hair up and away from the water, artfully coiling it on her head and securing it with the band on her wrist. Tiny golden hairs elude her, curling around her temples and catching the light as she turns. “I’d ask you to join me, but you don’t seem dressed for the occasion.” Hotaru’s expression is feline and teasing, wading another step forward until the bubbling springs are caressing her navel, petite as she is. Intriguing man with handsome looks or not, she’d come her to bathe, and bathe she shall.
Pull you in, but don't you get too close Love you now, but not tomorrow
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
01-15-2023, 04:48 PM (This post was last modified: 01-15-2023, 04:50 PM by Royal.)
Royal
it's not too late to die for a reason fall down on the sword you were swinging
In the years it had taken Royal to grow into a young man, he had never been lacking comfort when it came to obtaining female company. It wasn’t a pastime he pursued necessarily out of wanton desire, but more so in times of growing hunger. Strange how those two hands were so infinitely intertwined. Where there was one, there was always the other, even now. As he watched the woman appraise him with a similar appetite, he feigned ignorance while continuing his slow prowl through the shallows of the pool. He wasn’t sure if it was her brazen behavior that had him falling easily into himself or just the sheer warmth of the tension coalescing between them. These were not the mild exchanges between a man and woman, but rather two forces of power colliding evenly.
As he briefly drew his attention back to his pack some yards away, contemplating his options to lure her closer and engage her, he paused. Her soft contented laughter distracted him only further from any strategic thought. Male appreciation be damned. The water had started a wavering crawl up her legs, toward her thighs, and his eyes followed its path easily. She knew exactly what she was about. So he matched her smirk in kind, nodding evenly at her thanks, before reaching up to run a thoughtful hand through his dampening hair again. The steam had risen to cast a light sheen across his forearms and as he glanced down at it consideringly, he noticed that his clothing had taken on a comparable condition. He touched the laden fabric distractedly while fixing a feline-like Hotaru with a teasing mein. "A gentleman never reveals his secrets."
Whether his dreams were truly secretive or just plain tactless was up for debate, but diving deeper into them certainly wouldn’t keep the young woman around. As she reached up to twist those golden waves into a loose knot atop her head, he watched the stretched length of her, imagining her like a fine bit of ribbon curved across his palm. Elegant and beautiful. And though he wanted to be fooled and led languidly into her coy promises, Royal was also a practical man. Perhaps to his detriment. But he wasn’t opposed to games when they were offered because he did love to win. So as she turned to face him fully, that coquettish smile turning up such fine lips, he decided he might enjoy this particular game.
Fluidly, he turned back toward the sloped bank of the pool, his hands falling to the hem of his shirt as he deftly pulled it up and off. The muscles along his back flexed with the movement as he turned with a mocking smile, "I can fix that." When he’d finally stepped free of the shallows, he worked the button of his jeans until he was able to shove them down his thighs before tugging them free to abandon near his pack. With just a fitted pair of black briefs and a smile that certainly knew no shame, he stalked back to the pool like a hunter facing his prey. "I wash your back, you wash mine?" Joke or not, the idea definitely didn’t repulse him.
It has been so long since anyone of a similar level of charm and intent found their way into her open palm, lax and inviting, deceiving. In fact, it has been even longer since she has done the same, since she last wondered who was truly in control of the situation. As his eyes trace the water's edge as it slides higher up her thighs, Hotaru thinks she doesn't mind being left to wonder.
"And are you?" she asks, a slow expression of mischief melting onto her face like glacier ice beneath an oppressive sun. "A gentleman, that is." Casting intentional, playful doubt upon his character mere moments after their introductions. Had it only been moments? Curious how it feels so much longer, every moment almost luxuriously slow.
Speaking of luxurious...Hotaru shamelessly lets her eyes carve portions out of the shadowed muscles in his back, watching the flirtatious play of light and steam across his bronzed skin. Where he had seen her as a silken ribbon, he is the dagger that neatly cuts through her, shining and perfectly honed to a threatening edge. But a sharp knife is only dangerous in clumsy, untrained hands; something hers are definitely not. So when he allows her a chance to put them to use, who is she to resist the invitation? Though he stalks further towards her, Hotaru does not shy away, gliding towards him instead, parting the water with hips and thighs. "I'd hate to lose the chance to stare at your pretty face, but how can I say no?" Coquettish smile precedes the rise of one hand to boldly reach for his shoulder, nudging it backwards to prompt him to turn. He'd asked her to wash his back, had he not?
Pull you in, but don't you get too close Love you now, but not tomorrow
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
