Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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07-13-2023, 08:20 PM (This post was last modified: 07-14-2023, 03:28 AM by Koa.)
No better version I could pretend to be tonight
Koa has never been to The Climb before, but when a god says you gotta go... well, you know the rest.
It's hot, and the young man is quick to strip away his clothing as he descends into the tunnels, tucking first coat, then shirt, and finally his pants into his backpack, leaving only boxers sticking to sweaty thighs. Pipsqueak has flopped petulantly across his shoulders, panting slightly despite her utter lack of exertion: for a fire-bellied lizard, her dislike of heat is well established.
But eventually their journey into the depths pays off, and they are rewarded when a cavern full of steam opens up. The springs are warm and inviting, rich with a heady, mineral smell. Koa grins as he takes them in, eyes flickering over the minerals that line the walls. "Wow, Pip, not so bad, huh?" he asks the dragon, setting her onto the stone ground. Pipsqueak responds by snuffling toward the water - and when she reaches it, letting out a series of yelps.
There on a rock in the middle of a pool is one of them gods-damned cloud spiders, scurrying around in circles and looking rather put out by its predicament.
There was really no good reason for Raelyn to be visiting the Climb, other than a vague sense of curiosity and a rumor about some hot springs. Besides, it was long past time she venture beyond the borders of the Grounds to explore the great, wide world of Caido. Who knew what animals lurked beyond her home region? And maybe there would be some interesting monsters that she could observe. Danta's suggestion to tame monsters was still stuck in her head, after all, and she thought that maybe by watching them, she could learn their secrets.
But first - the hot springs.
It was with some surprise that Rae found that she was not alone in her destination. She'd come upon a rather handsome young man, stripped to his boxers, and a small creature that looked like a very furry dragon. She felt a bit bad for it - it had to be struggling in this heat. Rae herself was barely more clothed than the stranger, dressed in a bikini top and some very short shorts. For a moment, she considered leaving - she hadn't planned for company - but then she shrugged to herself. She had just as much of a right to be here as they did.
But just as Rae was about to introduce herself, the little dragon-creature made a series of yelp-like noises, and the young woman rushed forward, concern on her pretty face. "Is your dragon alright?" she asked as she approached the pool, not yet seeing the cloud spider seemingly stuck on the rock in the middle of the pool.
Pip is getting more and more worked up, and with exaggerated annoyance Koa decides he really ought to intervene. He follows Pipsqueak to the edge of the pool, kneeling down and placing a hand on her back to keep her from launching herself at the bewildered spider, shushing softly as he considers what to do.
Thoroughly distracted by his dragon's predatory instincts, Koa doesn't hear Raelyn approach until she speaks. "Huh?" He turns his face to the sound of the voice, surprised expression giving way to a friendly grin as he takes in the lovely interloper. "Oh, she's fine" Koa laughs, sitting back on his heels. "Just desperate to show off her hunting skills- isn't that right, Pip?" He pats the dragonling on her horned head, earning a petulant growl.
Gesturing to the spider with his chin, Koa raises a brow. "What do you think? Should we let her have it, or give the poor fellow a fighting chance?"
The man was handsome, the dragon was adorable, and Raelyn was quite pleased that she'd decided to come to the hot springs on this particular day. If nothing else, this was going to prove to be an interesting encounter - she could already tell. Taking in the scene again, Raelyn finally noticed the spider, and as the stranger explained what was going on, understanding dawned.
"Admirable though her hunting skills may be," Raelyn said wryly, her eyes dancing with mirth. "It seems a bit unfair to the spider, doesn't it?" She came closer, crouching near the pair and watching the trapped spider with mock seriousness. "I think the spider deserves a chance, at least. Though I'm certain that - Pip, you said? - will be more than up for the hunt."
Well, far be it for Koa to turn down a pretty lady. "Here that, Pip? Time to do a rescue," he declares with a wink to his new compatriot, broad cheeks flushed by the cavern's heat. Pipsqueak looks appropriately put out by this decision, turning back to fix the newcomer with a baleful look. She accepts it, though, and settles against the ground, tail thrashing stone and dust as her blue eyes fixate on the poor little spider.
It's Koa's cue to sink into the water. He gasps as heat shoots up his legs, biting his lips and raising his arms as his body adjusts to the temperature change. Slowly the young man wades toward the stranded arachnid, which seems rather relieved and ready for rescue when his broad hand lowers to scoop it up.
Spider on his hand, Koa makes his wading way to shore. He settles the little beast on the shoreline; it takes a second to realize what has happened, but as soon as it does the cloudlike creature scampers gratefully away. Not for long: Pip gives five seconds before bolting after it, her little legs scrambling over warm stone as she hones in on her prey.
Shaking his head fondly, Koa folds his arms on the stone before looking up at the young woman. "Water's lovely," he informs her brightly, copper eyes glittering in the low light. "Care for a dip? I'm Koa, by the way."
08-01-2023, 10:44 PM (This post was last modified: 08-01-2023, 10:44 PM by Raelyn.)
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Raelyn muffled a laugh at the poor dragon's wounded expression. It wasn't unlike the way her dogs looked at her when she took away their favorite toy. Not for the first time, she wondered what it must be like to have a companion. Was it like having a pet? Were they trained? From what she understood, it wasn't the same thing at all, and that just made it all the more curious.
Her new friend lowered himself into the water and helped the spider to (relative) safety; Pip raced after it only a moment later, eliciting a chuckle from Raelyn. Somehow she'd been expecting just that result. Maybe companions were just normal animals after all - with a sprinkle of something extra. "I'm Raelyn," she said, casually stripping off her shorts and slipping into the water next to Koa. "It's nice to meet you, Koa. And you said your dragon is Pip?"
His smile widens as Raelyn slips easily out of her shorts; he shifts over, making more space for her to slide into the pool. "Raelyn. That's a lovely name." Ripples splash up the young man's chest, leaving droplets clinging to his sparse body hair. "Yeah - Pipsqueak. She was a bit of a runt when she hatched, and the name stuck." He shrugs fondly, gazing down the tunnel where his dragon has vanished in search of her prey.
"So what brings you all the way out here?" Koa half-rises from the water as he talks, reaching for his pack and dragging it toward the edge. From within, his boxing wraps are produced: usually white and well-maintained, they are now rust-red and iron smelling, splattered with Sohalia's blood. Gods, he'd really fucked that one up, huh?
08-11-2023, 01:10 AM (This post was last modified: 08-11-2023, 01:11 AM by Raelyn.)
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"Thank you," she said, a soft sigh falling from her lips as she sank into the warm waters. She looked at the young man sidelong as she settled, sinking down to her shoulders in the water and enjoying the sensation of warmth along her spine. The dragon's name was fitting, and Rae chuckled softly as Koa's gaze drifted fondly after the silly creature. "Will she be alright on her own?" she asked, curious as much as anything else. Pip was a dragon, and should be well equipped to handle herself in most situations. Besides, companions were different from pets.
She watched curiously as Koa pulled his pack closer, pulling out some kind of wraps stained red with - was that blood? Raising a brow, Rae said, "Just got bored at home." She shrugged. There wasn't much going on in the Hollowed Grounds these days. "Wanted to explore a little. What are those?" she added, jutting her chin towards the wraps.
"She'll let me know if she gets in trouble." Both audibly and inaudibly, he suspects. The catsnake has always vacillated between incredible neediness and furious independence; Koa has learned to accept that she will have her escapades, and to anticipate demands for attention and pets whenever is least convenient.
He grimaces when she asks about the wraps. "They're for boxing," Koa explains, wincing as blood stains the water red. "Had a sparring accident. It looks a lot worse than it was." Soh may disagree, but it isn't a story he especially wants to get into. Trying to justify punching a girl in the face after she rejected you feels like incredibly dangerous terrain.
Still scrubbing at the wraps, he tilts his face back to Raelyn. "Where's home for you, then?" he wonders. "Halo?" It seems the most likely, given that it's close, but then again the girl seems rather tanned for a Halovian so he's not entirely convinced of his guess.
The boxing wraps are indeed bloodstained, then, and Rae raised a brow at her new friend. "So you're a boxer, then?" she asked, curious. She herself knew basic self-defense, but she wouldn't call herself much of a fighter. She usually had her pack of dogs along, and she knew they would defend her at need. Still, if she was going to be traveling alone, perhaps it was time to learn a few extra moves, just in case.
At the suggestion that Halo might be her home, Rae wrinkled her nose. "All that snow and ice? No, thank you," she said with a chuckle. "No, I'm from the Hollowed Grounds. And no, it's not as bad as you've probably heard." Or, at least, it's not anymore. "What about you? Where are you from?"
Usually, this is when Koa would explain that no, he's not a boxer, he's a soldier, but something stills his tongue. Raelyn doesn't know him, isn't from Stormbreak; maybe here, just for now, he can be something other than what he is. So, "That's right," he affirms, and it's not a lie, just an omission. He is a boxer, after all, well enough known in underground rings. Leaning back on the wall of the spring, he jerks his chin up in playful challenge. "Maybe sometime I can show you my moves."
Like that one. So smooth.
Koa laughs with her, also unimpressed by the idea of living in a snowy waste. But his eyebrows raise when she says where she is from, curiosity evident in the tilt of his head. "Really? I've only been a couple times, and only briefly. But it seems like a cool place to explore, if you have a good guide." He smiles wider at the implication, making no effort to hide the flirtation that flits so easily into his voice.
"Pip and I are from Stormbreak," Koa says, turning to look for signs of the dragon and frowning when she doesn't appear. "I should probably hunt her down before she gets lost," he adds, trying to sound amusedly exasperated instead of just concerned, toned body glistening as he begins to rise from the spring.
Raelyn smiled at the young man's challenge. "Maybe sometime you can," she agreed with a wink. She wasn't quite clear on what kind of moves Koa was suggesting, but hey - it was all an adventure, right?
As for where she's from, she noticed the curiosity when she mentioned the Grounds. Usually, she got one of two responses: curiosity, like in Koa's case, or disdain, from people who had lived there before. It was nice to find someone who actually seemed to want to explore it. Her resulting smile was genuine, even as her voice turned flirtatious. "I'm an excellent guide," she said. "I know all the best places."
Ah, but their flirtation seemed to be cut short as Koa frowned and began to lever himself out of the water. "Look me up if you're ever in the Grounds," Rae suggested. 'I'd be happy to show you the ropes." Because boxing reference, lol.
Koa finishes his ascent from the water with all the fluid grace of a walrus, a slip of his foot causing him to flop unexpectedly onto the edge of the pool. "Ow," he declares, rising and rubbing his bruised tailbone before turning a boyish, sheepish grin down at Raelyn. "And if you ever come to Stormbreak, you'll have to drop me a line. I'd be happy to give a tour of my own." His eyebrows raise playfully, though he's a bit too distracted for the flirting to be whole-hearted.
With a final wave the young man sets off, whistling for Pipsqueak as he descends into the tunnels. Hopefully his little dragon hasn't gone too far, but one can never be too sure. Fatherhood is exhausting, it turns out.
