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!
we might be hurting, but I'm ready for the free fall
Jude kissed her again, and she leaned into him, happy to bask in the kiss for as long as he wanted to stay there. When they separated, she hummed her approval against his lips. "Much better." Then she kissed him again, quick and chaste and adoring, before pulling back just enough that they could hold a conversation.
And what a conversation it was. She didn't think twice about the insinuation that they date, and was about to agree when Jude's eyes went wide and he began to immediately backpedal. Soh bit back a giggle, releasing his hand to move hers to caress his cheek. "I'd like this to be dating," she agreed, a sweet smile playing on her lips. Her eyes turned serious, and she spoke hesitantly, perhaps out of her element for one of the first times since they'd known one another. "I think I've wanted this to be... more for a while, I just... didn't realize..." She hesitated, playing with his dark curls. "You're my best friend, Jude. I don't ever want that to change, but I..."
Soh had always loved him. She just hadn't realized how much she loved him.
It wasn't the first time she'd said it, but she'd never meant it quite like this. "I love you." Then she laughed nervously. "Or is it too early to say that?"
You're blushing your cheeks and I'm falling for it
If he loves just one thing about her - an impossible ask - it’s that she never shies away or grows exasperated with his anxieties, always bridging the gap with her smiles and laughter that bring him back to solid ground. Her surety is reassuring, settling his nerves right when she swaps their roles, suddenly uncertain herself. Jude returns the favor, squeezing her fingers gently as she plays with his curls and works through her thoughts.
“No, I don’t think so,” he reassures rather firmly. Maybe it’s years of Harper emphasizing being open and connected to his feelings or maybe it’s just the fanciful notions in his young head, but Jude doesn’t think it’s too soon at all. “I love you too.” It makes something giddy twist in his stomach, just on the safe edge of being nerves. “I don’t think we should worry about being best friends and ruining that. Why can’t you be my best friend and my girlfriend at the same time?” His expression is warm and strangely calm, sure of himself. His dad had been best friends with both of Jude’s mothers, it’s the best sign he has that they’re actually setting themselves up for success here. furthermore, his mom and dad were actively working on being friends again, and they had been deeply hurt by their separation. If he and Sohalia ever did the same, Jude would never stop trying to rebuild that platonic bridge. “It just means you know me, and I know you. And if we ever broke up, I won’t ever stop being your friend.” There’s a strange intensity to his expression as he says it, willing to make a vow if that’s what she wants to hear because he believes so intensely that he can uphold it.
Realizing that maybe he is being intense, Jude blushes. “N-Not that I want that to happen of course.” There seems to be so many details they need to iron out, and Jude doesn’t know where to start doing that. “But I think we can say we’ve been on enough stand-ins for dates that we can just say we’re going steady?” Expression going a touch mischievous, hoping she’ll agree with his not-quite-logic.
we might be hurting, but I'm ready for the free fall
It was unusual for Soh to be the uncertain one of the two, and for a brief moment, she felt a certain precariousness as she teetered on the brink of anxiety herself. It was possible, she supposed, that Jude didn't feel the same way about her as she felt about him, or that maybe she'd overstepped in this new relationship that was budding between them. What was the appropriate protocol for becoming more than just friends? Was there even one, or were they just making it up as they went along? Either way was fine, really, but Soh was used to being in far more control of herself than this.
But then he reassured her and told her that he loved her, too, and everything settled a little in her mind again, bringing a giddy grin to her face.
Unlike Jude, Soh had no frame of reference for relationships - either healthy or not. Her parents had, by all accounts, been happy together, but she had no real memories of their relationship. Auden had been single the entire time she'd known them. And since then, she'd given little thought to romance and romantic relationships, so focused she'd been on traveling and exploring the world. Now, for the first time, she found that there was something more important to her than her work - and she was looking at him.
There was a sharp pang in her heart at the thought of them breaking up, even though they were just beginning, and it was with equal parts pain and relief that she agreed, "I'll always be your friend. No matter what happens."
But that shouldn't be a concern right now, and she banished the thought from her mind. After all, she and Jude had already more than proven their compatibility, by her way of thinking, and so it was that she grinned. "I think that sounds fair," she agreed. Her eyes swept over his face, taking in his warm brown eyes, the dark curls she loved so much, the mischievous expression he wore. "So, oh boyfriend of mine -" and she grinned, a giddy giggle falling from her lips. "- what do we do now?"
You're blushing your cheeks and I'm falling for it
He knows they’re both inexperienced given how open they’ve always been about their childhoods but for once Jude feels he can take the lead here by helping them both navigate the healthier habits of a relationship to ensure their shared happiness. It’s a responsibility he’s almost excited to take on. Really all of this feels exciting, even the scary bits.
Jude knows - logically - that they should probably further discuss how they’ll visit each other, if Jude intends to move, if he’d move in with her or simply live in Stormbreak alongside her -
Honestly though, he can barely make himself blink with how taken he is by the emotion shining out of Soh’s beautiful face. Logistics could wait. Right now, marveling at and embracing the giddy, hot-blooded change between them is far more enticing.
“We have the house to ourselves for at least a day or two,” he murmurs as he leans in and presses a barely-there kiss to her lips, again and again, speaking between. “We can just stay here as long as we want.” And frankly Jude has never been ruled by hormones or other teenage desires (though they’re swiftly approaching the age where they are more adult than teenage) but he’s no purist either, so he lifts his free hand to tuck her hair behind her back and gently touches the slope of her neck into her shoulder, fingertips exploring the farthest edge of her collarbone where it dips and created a shadow on her fair skin. Happy to simply touch her. Rather innocently, but not without intent.
we might be hurting, but I'm ready for the free fall
Although logic dictates that perhaps a bit more discussion might be in order, Soh was happy to leave it for later. To be honest, she wasn't concerned about the details - how often would they visit? As often as possible. Would Jude move to Stormbreak? Maybe, but if he didn't... well, there were two of them, and she had fewer ties to Stormbreak than he had to Torchline. Would they move in together? Well, eventually, right? But there didn't have to be a rush. As far as Soh was concerned, he could move in tomorrow or he could move in next year, and she'd be happy either way. They'd basically lived together part time for months now; how different could it be, really?
She knew there would be differences - as if Jude's kisses weren't enough proof of that - but they were differences that excited her more than they scared her. Everything always seemed less daunting with Jude by her side, and now that they were more intimately tied together than ever, she knew she could rely on him to be there with her and for her, whatever that meant at the time.
His kisses made her more giddy, if that were possible, and she giggled between each kiss. "We can," she murmured in return, and shivered with delight as he gently began to explore her neck and shoulder, tilting her head to expose more to his touch. Though she'd always been a modest person - rarely dressing to expose bare skin beyond her arms and collarbone - Jude had always made her feel comfortable and safe. And it was that safety that cocooned her now as something akin to desire pooled low in her stomach at his touch.
You're blushing your cheeks and I'm falling for it
For such a terrible day, it was shaping up to end as one of the best in his young life so far. The hurt and confusion of his current world felt closed out behind his bedroom door, leaving them in a little haven where only the sunlight could touch them from the outside.
It feels strange to take the lead in exploring her skin no matter how leisurely. Jude has never been the type too long for initiative, but he does long to revel in simply touching her. If there is any heat in his veins it simmers so low and slow it is nearly unnoticeable as he flattens his hand to let his entire palm sweep over her the flat pane of her chest between collar and breast before slowly sliding back to the point of her shoulder and down over her bicep, pushing beneath the neck of her blouse with long, slim fingers. “This okay?” he whispers just before kissing her again, quick and chaste so that she can actually answer him.
we might be hurting, but I'm ready for the free fall
At the moment, Soh could scarcely remember what had brought her here in such a hurry, but she knew she would stay as long as she could. This was worth all the late nights and catching up she'd have to do when she got home and then some. Laying here with Jude, the late afternoon sun streaming in through the window, was perhaps the most relaxed she'd felt in quite some time.
She watched him with adoring eyes as he simply touched her, gently continuing his exploration. She was a little nervous and a little scared - what if she didn't measure up to whatever he imagined in his head? - but mostly she was just content. His fingers crept beneath her blouse, and she smiled at his whispered question. "Yes," she whispered against his lips.
Suddenly struck by the desire to touch him, too, she ran her fingers lightly down the side of his neck, tracing the line of his collarbone until she could rest her hand gently in the center of his bare chest, right above his heart. "What about this?" she asked, her gaze flicking up to meet his, her lips only a hair from his, pausing so that he could stop her, if he wanted to.
You're blushing your cheeks and I'm falling for it
Nervous and scared? Jude could relate to that, especially in regards to not measuring up. In his eyes she has nothing to worry about, but compared to her? Jude isn’t even on the board. It makes every lingering, exploratory touch feel like a follower finally basking in the light of their herald.
Her soft reassurance is met with her own fingers against his skin, and Jude feels the hairs on his arms spread with goosebumps immediately. Beneath her hand she’ll feel the hastened beating of his heart, but it has no impact on his tone as he answers her in kind; steady, sure. “Yes.”
Restricted by the width of her blouse’s collar, Jude smooths his palm over her arm and down to her waist. His thumb smoothes across her hip and beneath the hem to her warm skin, rubbing slow circles against the jut of bone and the dip that leads towards her pelvis, marveling at her soft skin. Eyes never leaving hers to ensure any twitch or flicker of discomfort doesn’t escape him, he slides his hand up along her side to settle over her ribs, fingertips tracing the curve of them.
we might be hurting, but I'm ready for the free fall
If Jude's heart was beating wildly, then so was hers, as emotions and feelings and thoughts all collided in her mind. She could scarcely believe that this was real, that it wasn't a dream that she'd wake up from only to find that he'd disappeared, that she was left alone, that she'd never felt his lips on hers or his hand skimming over her skin. It was a slow burn that was made all the sweeter for the waiting, and as she gazed into his eyes, complete trust and adoration shining from her own, she could only comprehend the depth of love that she had for him - her best friend, and now so much more.
With a shy smile, and watching him as closely as he watched her, her hand skimmed down from his chest to lightly trace across his stomach, lifting to settle momentarily on his waist. But she didn't stay in any one spot for long, too eager to continue exploring him. Her fingers glided up to his ribs, skittered back across his chest, and then back up to his neck for her to run her fingers once more through his curls, every touch soft, gentle, lingering. She hadn't felt so relaxed and content in weeks, and it showed in the leisurely caress of her fingertips against him.
You're blushing your cheeks and I'm falling for it
It feels almost impossible to blink. Jude doesn’t really mind that though given he doesn’t want to take his eyes off Sohalia for a single moment. What’s more amazing is the way she stares in the exact same way. It’s exhilarating, even, the way that it makes him feel desirable and worthy of her gaze. Such is the intricacy of trusting someone so implicitly; Jude trusts she would never lie even with her eyes, so surely he must be worth it through that logic alone. It’s strangely empowering.
He twitches slightly with a tiny ghost of a giggle as her fingers touch a ticklish spot on his ribs, and it makes the moment even sweeter, more tender. His own hand slides backwards on her own to find the dip of her spine with his fingertips, running leisurely up and down there. There’s no rush, no deadline or time limit. He wants to touch her so he simply does. It doesn’t need to be anything more than that. Frankly he’s not sure if either of them is ready for that today of all days, but those worries can’t touch him here in this golden cloud.
“Love you,” he whispers again, just for the novelty of saying it once more. And, using his hand on her back, gently pulls her closer so he can kiss her again. Thighs touching and intertwining their ankles as they often did instinctually when sleeping together before. Before this new change, of course, but it still feels the same. Still just as natural.
06-15-2023, 07:50 AM (This post was last modified: 06-15-2023, 07:56 AM by Sohalia.)
we might be hurting, but I'm ready for the free fall
He was oh, so worth it, and Soh found herself entranced, spellbound in a moment that seemed like it would never end - at least until Jude giggled at a ticklish spot, and Soh grinned as she lingered there, drumming her fingertips on his skin, just to see if she could make him squirm, before moving on. It was a strange new sensation, this type of touch, so different and yet so similar to everything they had done a million times before.
Jude's fingertips on her back sent a shiver down her spine, and her breath hitched as her back arched almost involuntarily, her body pressing into his. Although she wasn't ready for things to go any further - and she didn't think Jude was, either - it was still exhilarating to consider what even so simple a touch could do. Her hand slipped from his hair to trace the curve of his neck, the set of his jaw, before brushing gently across his cheek again.
"Love you," she said with a giddy smile. It was just as thrilling to hear the second time. Her heart feeling full to bursting, she kissed him back, unable to contain her smile even as their lips met. She didn't think they could get much closer together, but she leaned into him anyway, looping her arm around his neck to gently pull him closer, her legs tangling with his, marveling at all the ways they fit together so perfectly.
You're blushing your cheeks and I'm falling for it
She indeed does make him squirm, whisper-quiet laughter rolling off his tongue as she continues to explore the ticklish section of his ribs. She'll find he's quite ticklish in general, but that seems to be reserved for a different day as she soon turns her touch caressing again soon after. Though the sound of her hitched breath is practically a drug, one that makes him grin shamelessly.
Her hand on his face, neck, jaw - it's distracting and pleasantly so, enough to nuzzle into the touch like a cat when it finally lingers in one spot. They've always been physically affectionate but now it feels like an entirely new experience.
Despite his blood feeling like cotton candy, Jude knows his body won't let him remain awake for much longer after such an emotionally eventful day. He clings to the energy all the same, selfish. "Want to go on our first real date in the morning?" He murmurs it as he tilts his forehead to rest against her own, smiling. Mona would be ecstatic at the announcement.
we might be hurting, but I'm ready for the free fall
The intimacy of their touches was a heady thing, leaving Soh a little breathless at how deeply it affected her. It was intoxicating, addicting, so different from all the times they'd touched before. As Jude nestled into her hand, Soh smiled. It seemed that they had similar effects on each other, and she couldn't have been more pleased if she tried.
She nudged his nose with her own as he leaned his forehead against hers, humming happily. Despite all that had happened that day, all that she was sure Jude was feeling, she felt like this had to be a little piece of heaven, wrapped up here in their golden bubble of space and time. Her thumb continued to stroke his cheek as he invited her on their first real date. "I'd love to," she murmured in response. Now that they were together, she wanted everyone to know it.
She took a breath, peering into Jude's eyes. "You must be tired," she whispered, a shadow of concern crossing her face. "Weren't we supposed to be napping?" A quiet laugh followed, her tone teasing. Still, he did need to rest. She'd feel better once he had food and sleep in his system. "You should get some rest," she suggested. "I'll be right here." And as though to prove her point, she nestled in closer, tucking her head beneath his chin to rest against his chest.
You're blushing your cheeks and I'm falling for it
For once there had been no fear or worry that she would decline, so he can only smile brightly when she agrees. The exhaustion is beginning to catch up to him, but he is reluctant to give in, wanting just one more minute in this perfect moment that had bloomed out of such sorrow.
But as Sohalia says, she'll be right there when morning comes. No longer a dream. How can he argue with that?
She nestles in closer, and for once Jude doesn't feel strange being the taller figure as he wraps his arms around her and presses a kiss into her hair. He's never going to be a particularly masculine man, but she makes him feel like that doesn't matter, like she trusts him to take care of her not in spite of that but regardless.
Warm to the core, Jude smiles into her hair and closes his eyes. "You better be. No sneaking away to make breakfast okay? I've gotta show you off to Mona." It's clear he's slipping towards sleep with how his manner of speech turns more relaxed instead of the regal, overly formal way he'd learned from Maeve.
