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!
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
When Sohalia had planned her trip to Halo, it had been before she and Jude were together. And up until she left Torchline, she hadn't been aware of how keenly she would miss him. Oh, she'd missed him before - he was her best friend, after all - but it was nothing in comparison to this. She'd enjoyed Halo - despite the cold - and even made time for a visit to the Greatwood to see a friend on her way back home. But the whole time she was away, her heart longed to be back on the beach with a certain curly-haired boy.
When she disembarked from the skyship, she immediately headed for Jude's, hoping that he would be at home and not out and about. They hadn't gotten their communication devices yet, and she wasn't sure if her letter had arrived in time to warn him of her arrival. At least if he wasn't home, she knew she was always welcome, and she could simply wait for him to return.
Letting herself into the house, Soh let her bags drop to the floor and made her way into the living room. "Hey, Jude?" she called. "Are you here?"
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
Jude has never been made for the public eye, and with Maeve's return so soon after Harper's vote into office (which had been equally dramatic) it seems everyone has something to ask or - worse - mutter to someone else as he passes. It's torturous, and he has barely been in Torchline because of it, aware that Sohalia was traveling at the same time. Missing her hasn't made anything easier, and her letter had been the only reason he stayed when he came back for more supplies. Not that he has ventured outside since, dissuaded by both the public beyond the door and the oppressive heat of the sun.
When she comes inside he immediately leaves his bedroom and enters the hallway where he can see straight down to the door where she's standing, and all the stress falls right off his shoulders as he smiles and walks towards her. "I've missed you so much," he murmurs as he immediately takes her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.
Would you hold me when we crash? Or would you let me go?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
Jude appeared at the end of the hall, and Soh smiled, meeting him halfway to wrap her arms around his waist. "I missed you, too," she whispered into his chest, breathing him in and, for a moment, just enjoying the feel of his arms around her. She'd always been a wanderer, always loved to travel - but if it meant being away from Jude for so long, she thought that maybe, for once... she'd rather not.
Maybe people were right. Home really was where the heart is.
Soh pulled away just enough that she could lean up to kiss him, chaste and lingering. "Let's not do this again," she murmured into the scant space between them. If she was going to travel, she wanted him to come with her. Gods, what was she going to do when she had to go back to Stormbreak? When she had to reopen her shop and stick around for more than a day or two at a time? Was it too late to just... move to Torchline?
But right now, it was enough to just be wrapped up in him, and as she leaned her forehead against his, she sighed happily. "How have things been here?" she asked, peering into his warm brown eyes. There was a lot going on, what with his family situation, and she'd worried about him while she'd been away.
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
Jude has zero complaints about standing there in the entryway simply holding one another. His adventurous spirit has never quite compared to hers; always wanting to see the more remote sights, sketch the exotic plants, and find solace in solitude. But even he can't help but agree that right now none of that sounds appealing when compared to this simple moment. It should be exaggeratedly romantic given their youth but Jude feels like he can finally breathe now that she's back.
Her kiss is not nearly long enough, but he laughs quietly against her lips as she pulls away. "Agreed." The end of summer seems even more intimidating now that he has experienced what it's like for her to be so far away. Having her so close at hand for the season has already spoiled him.
It's not an unexpected question, and instead of shying away Jude falls headfirst into the trusting relationship they've always had to sigh quietly and close his eyes as he tilts his forehead against hers. "It has really sucked Soh," he murmurs. "People are going crazy now that maman is back, and things are still so weird between all of us. I can tell it's wearing on dad to try and pretend everything is okay." Which, considering how close he and Harper are, is equally distressing for Jude to see. "I can't stand everyone suddenly wanting to talk to me. I even went to Stormbreak for your supply pickup and stayed longer because I didn't want to come back." Which had ended with him meeting Koa instead of the dealer, but he'll apologize for that later.
Realizing he has vented a little too quickly, Jude sheepishly laughs and smooths a hand over her hair. "Sorry. Didn't mean to unload."
Would you hold me when we crash? Or would you let me go?
bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones.
You've encountered the OG random event! This allows you to skip one levelling requirement with the character in this thread. (Unfortunately does not count for characters over level 10, how sad.)
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
As much as she would love to just fall into bed all tangled up in him and kiss him until they fell asleep, Soh also cared deeply enough that she knew that could wait. Of course, she had her own news to share - news that she didn't think Jude was going to like - but for now, she just wanted to know about him. What he shared, though, did not set her mind at ease, and she reached up to caress his cheek. "I did ask," she pointed out with a sweet smile, compassion clear in her silver eyes.
Then she sighed softly. "I'm sorry," she murmured. How she wished she could take all that away, wave a magic wand and fix things for him so that he didn't have to carry his burdens anymore. But she couldn't do that; all she could do was offer to share the burden. "Can I do anything?" she asked, searching his face. Even if it was something as simple as distracting him from it for a little while... she'd do almost anything to bring a smile back to his face.
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
06-16-2023, 04:58 AM (This post was last modified: 06-16-2023, 04:59 AM by Jude.)
Jude
Do you love me like that? If I keep on driving
Her easy understanding and compassion are like balm on an open wound that still stings, muting the pain receptors to trick the mind into believing the laceration is no longer there. So when she asks what she can do he merely laughs and holds her closer. "Just being here. It's already helping." Nobody can get to them in here - the world can stay out there beyond that door, his world is already in his arms.
As such, peeling away is hard, but they can't stand in the doorway forever. Waiting while she removes her shoes and leaving her bags where they dropped, Jude pulls her to the couch nearby, unable to handle waiting to get back to his bedroom. It's not like it's anything Harper hasn't seen before if his dad comes home. Flopping onto it first, he makes grabby hands at her for her to lay on top of him, pouting dramatically. "Anyway tell me about your trip," he wheedles once she has obliged.
Would you hold me when we crash? Or would you let me go?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
While she couldn't fully appreciate what he was going through, it was easy to sympathize; she'd lost people she loved, after all, and she could imagine what she'd feel if they somehow managed to come back. The questions she'd have, the emotions she'd feel - and, on top of that, Jude probably felt like he had to hold it together while everything and everyone around him dealt with their own struggle with the situation. She loved him, in part, for his quiet strength, but she knew that it would lead to him carrying the world on his shoulders. She just didn't want him to have to carry it alone.
She reluctantly let Jude pull away, rapidly kicking off her shoes and padding after him to the couch. Ahe laughed at his pouting, happily climbing on top of him, resting her arms on his chest with her head propped on top, the better to keep him in her sights. "It was fine," she said. "But this is better." And she grinned, leaning up to kiss him again before settling once more on his chest. "Halo is... different. It was cold, but Tal has this magic cuff to keep away the cold that he let me borrow, so it wasn't too bad. The landscape is beautiful, but I think I prefer things here. All that snow and ice gets a little boring after a while." The beach was far better. So was the Greatwood.
She wished she could avoid talking about her trip's ending. But, unfortunately, she had to warn him about his mother's - what? Hurt? Disappointment? She didn't think Phoebe was angry, but Jude might be, when he learned what had happened. She'd never made him angry before. They'd never even spoken a cross word to each other. That she might anger him with her mistake made her brows come together slightly in a small frown.
"I, um... I actually have to tell you something," she said hesitantly, suddenly avoiding his gaze, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt. "I, um..." Again she hesitated, reluctant to ruin their golden bubble with her own idiocy. "I met your mother," she said finally, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I didn't realize - I met her before, and she's a friend of mine, except I didn't know she was your mother, and I went by the Greatwood to say hi, and we got to talking, and I... may have accidentally told her we were dating." Now she peeked up at Jude, fear and distress evident on her face, suddenly terrified by how he might react.
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
If she believes him to have quiet strength she is the first in his opinion. But she has always seen the best in him. He links his fingers at the small of her back, holding her close and tilting his chin to look back at her as she watches him from his chest. Halo sounds appropriately boring when she's the one who paints it, but anything but this couch sounds terrible to him right now. Especially when those distant lands steal her away for far too long.
He intends to ask her more about Halo when she hesitates and nervously speaks once more. Immediately sensing the seriousness, Jude's playful, attentive expression melts into something more concerned. She bulldozes through it before he has a chance to reassure her, and there's certainly a lot to think about. He hadn't told his mother yet for a wide variety of reasons, but it's not like he was going to hide it from her, so he doesn't know what the problem is.
"I guess I didn't think to tell you her name, so it was my mistake first." Releasing one hand to gently caress her hair, he frowns slightly at her as he tries to figure out what about it is making her so nervous. "Did it not go well? I don't mind that you told her, I was going to the next time I was in the Greatwood." It seemed like news better shared in person than in a letter, and then his time had been stolen away by finding Maeve and the chaos of bringing her home. He can't imagine his mother ever being mean to anyone, much less his girlfriend, but he has to ask anyway. "She wasn't mean to you right?"
Would you hold me when we crash? Or would you let me go?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
If she rushed through it, it was only because she thought it was better to just get it all out rather than beat around the bush. She couldn't really identify what about it made her so nervous. Was it that she'd shared something with Phoebe before Jude had the chance? Was it the knowledge that Jude not being the one to tell Phoebe had hurt her friend? Was it the worry that there was something sinister in the fact that he hadn't yet told his mother about her? Whatever it was, she didn't like feeling so unsure, and she was suddenly glad for his arms around her, grounding her in the moment rather than allowing her mind to run away with her.
Much to her relief, Jude didn't seem mad, and now that she thought about it, it was kind of silly to think he would be. She'd never even heard him raise his voice before, and she had no reason to think it would change now. And that he was planning to tell Phoebe at least set the tiny part of Soh that had worried at ease. "No, of course not!" she said, appalled that she'd made him think that Phoebe - sweet Phoebe - had been mean. "She was very kind, actually." Perhaps too kind. Soh blushed again for an entirely different reason, thinking of the rather awkward conversation that she and Phoebe had had. "She's happy for us. It would seem she approves of me." And at that, a small smile quirked up the corners of her mouth.
"I was worried you might be upset with me," she admitted, her fingertips tracing the edge of his shirt against bare skin. "It should have been you." She said it ruefully, without blaming him for not telling her, but rather because Soh should have kept her mouth shut. Her smile widened a little bit though, emboldened by his hand stroking her hair. "I was just too excited," she teased. "I want everyone to know how I feel about you."
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
She'd never heard it because Jude wasn't the type to raise his voice. He can't even remember the last time he was truly mad. That probably isn't a good thing because all emotions have their place, and he's definitely the type to suppress things in favor of obedience, but for now she has nothing to fear in terms of his reaction.
"Of course she approves if she was already friends with you before, you're the best," he murmurs, absolutely certain and immovable in his sentiment. Though it does make him feel better to know that both his parents approve now of the girl he loves even if he doesn't need their approval (a dangerous, rebellious thought that is quite out of character for Jude).
Chuckling slightly and bouncing her as he does so, Jude squeezes her gently with one arm and continues stroking her hair, letting his fingers delve into it and play the golden strands over his knuckles. "I don't mind. I feel a little bad, sure, but only about having kept it from her on accident. Everything has been so busy with maman, and now her recovery, and dad becoming King..." Frankly it has all been a bit too much for the young man, but it's nothing he feels he can't conquer with Sohalia here now. "I'm not upset - I want everyone to know about you too," he murmurs, smiling softly at her.
His expression changes a bit then, going a bit pink in the cheeks and almost hangdog. "I do have a confession of my own." Clearing his throat, he looks up at the ceiling to try and make it easier on himself. "When I went to Stormbreak to meet with your supplier I uh...I had someone run into me and spill their coffee on my back. A Dragoon named Koa stepped in and helped me but...well, he was really flirtatious. And I didn't dissuade him like I should have." Sighing softly, he tries not to focus on the chill in his stomach, terrified of her anger in the exact same way. "I just...before you, nobody ever noticed me before. And I felt like since he didn't know me, it was genuine. And it was...nice. To be found attractive and interesting." He still can't meet her eyes, though the shame and self-consciousness in his own only deepens. It's not like it's a secret between them that Jude has next to zero self-esteem, but saying it out loud - especially as reasoning for having let the flirting continue - makes it particularly shameful.
Would you hold me when we crash? Or would you let me go?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
Soh giggled softly at his quiet compliment, leaning forward to kiss him sweetly. "No, you're the best," she murmured, clear adoration shining from her silver eyes. It was a welcome relief that he wasn't upset with her, and she felt something tight inside her chest relax at the realization. She hadn't realized just how worried she was until that moment, just how terrified she was that she was going to do something to mess everything up. Why she felt that way, when she never had about being his best friend, she wasn't sure. It just felt like now she had so much more to lose - even with Jude's promise to stay friends if anything ever happened.
It just felt like her heart might shatter into a million pieces if anything ever did.
And then Jude had a confession to make, and Soh tensed slightly, a slight frown furrowing between her brows. What Jude could possibly have done to warrant his expression - and the way he avoided her eyes - was a mystery to her. She'd never been upset with him since meeting him, and she couldn't imagine that anything would change that, except -
Oh. Oh. Why did it have to be Koa?
Soh couldn't remember ever having felt quite so many emotions in such a short span as she did then: guilt, shame, amusement, confusion, and something that felt suspiciously like jealousy. But really, how could she be upset if nothing had really happened, if Jude was telling her, and when she hadn't even properly broken things off with Koa, having not been home in the weeks since she and Jude had gotten together?
"You are attractive and interesting," Soh said, reaching up to caress his cheek with her thumb. "And wonderful, and smart, and kind..." she added, teasing if only so she could gather her thoughts. "Anyone with eyes can see that." But then she hesitated, her brow still furrowed slightly. "And honestly, I know how charming Koa can be," she said wryly. "I, um, went on a few dates with him. Before you and I were together." Her cheeks flushed. Was this something they could joke about? "It looks like we have similar tastes," she said, trying for a laugh.
Then she sobered. "I'm not upset. Maybe a little jealous," she admitted, biting her lip. "Just... just don't do anything with anyone else?" she said, her voice lilting into a question mark. "I don't want to share you." Oh, gods, what if Jude wanted that? "I mean - do you want to see other people?" she asked, her voice small and uncertain. She wasn't sure if she could handle that, and fear spiked in her belly as she waited anxiously for his response.
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
It feels terrible to turn such a lovely, perfect moment into something sour, but Jude cannot bear to keep it inside a moment longer lest he feel like he's intentionally hiding it from her. Which he's not, no matter how difficult it is for him to admit to what feels like a betrayal of their delicate, new relationship.
Reassurances aren't the first thing he expects from her. Shouting, maybe, or tears, but not such tenderness as she refutes all those worries and insecurities that he carries around inside his head. Because of it, his gaze drops away from the ceiling to meet hers immediately, his expression raw and vulnerable. Leaning into her cheek, he smiles a little sadly. "Thank you," he murmurs because he won't devalue her faith in him even if he can't agree with her just yet.
Though now it's his turn to go through a maelstrom of emotions as she reveals that not only does she know Koa, she had gone on dates with him. Jealousy burns right alongside amusement and disbelief, and this time he's the one to choke out a startled laugh. "That - well - I mean yeah, I guess we do," he laughs, blindsided but still almost hysterically amused by how they'd both gravitated toward the exact same person. only the sound of her voice going small and uncertain takes him out of the haze his head finds itself in, and he resumes stroking her hair immediately.
"No, no I don't want that. I mean." Puffing out his cheeks and exhaling slowly, Jude tries to do the open-minded teachings of his parents justice. "If it was someone we both equally loved, and they loved us back, that would be different. But that's the only kind of polyamory I'd want - no secondary partners or anything." They both have overly-large hearts, but they're also both romantics. Jude can't imagine sharing her with someone he wasn't also entangled with, and the realization of the depths of his jealousy is certainly something to grapple with. "But...that feels like it would be hard to achieve if neither of us wants to see other people?" A bit hesitantly spoken, trying and failing to think of any way it would occur naturally without inciting jealousy or feelings of infidelity given neither of them wants to actively pursue seeing other people.
Would you hold me when we crash? Or would you let me go?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
If it felt like a betrayal to Soh, it was a small and utterly insignificant one in the face of her love for Jude. She couldn't honestly fathom a situation in which she could love him any less, particularly when he was being so open and honest with her. If she wasn't already lying on top of him, she'd snuggle even closer; as it were, she dropped her hand from his face to trace patterns on the bare skin of his neck.
His openness to polyamory was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome - it was something that she had never really considered for herself, but it also wasn't something she was against. She nodded thoughtfully. "I've never really thought about that," she admitted. "But you're right. It would be hard to find. And I'm not sure I'd be... I don't know. It's not that I'm not open to something like that, but I don't want to do anything to mess us up. And that just seems like it has the potential to cause problems, unless it happened naturally?" She tilted her head to one side, meeting his gaze. She couldn't see a situation where she wouldn't be horribly jealous, unless something was to evolve with all parties on equal footing.
"I love you," she told him firmly. "And I just want you. I can't imagine being with anyone other than you." Even Koa, with all his charm and attractiveness. They'd had fun together, sure, but her feelings for Koa paled in comparison to her feelings for Jude. Even if she did feel a little guilty about ending things with the Dragoon.
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
