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!
I know they'll be coming to find me soon But I fear I'm getting used to being held by you
It's not a phrase she turns on him with cruel intentions. Hotaru had suffered through the same mire he currently finds himself in, blaming herself for Atlas' death at every turn, incapable of forgiving herself. She didn't even have a dragon or a war to blame - only her own traitorous emotional stupidity. But when she'd finally done it and forgiven herself, it had become abundantly clear that it was the only thing that could have ever given her peace. Peace she wants for him. Desperately. But she cannot force him to have that realization, no matter how she might wish it.
I know you will, is her soft response, her own accent more a byproduct of regality than his own Korofian regional tones. I believe in you. Even when you do not. A phrase meant to comfort instead of deride. When he cannot see the light, she will guide him through it, even if she cannot brighten the way for his eyes.
He reaches for her and Petronella both, and the slightly cool wetness on his palm from his own tears transfers onto her cheek as he tilts her face upward. She presses into him, greedy to be near despite her patience as he'd taken a moment for himself. Foreheads pressed together, the ripple of her surprise and bittersweet love is more easily concealed on her face as the Korofian term is murmured in the scant space between them. A gift she had not let herself assume she'd hear again. Lifting her own hands, she squeezes the back of his neck and his forearm in turn, just firmly enough to translate how she wishes to keep him here in her grasp forever. "Always, my love," Ru whispers in turn, the squeeze of her fingers a solemn promise. And only once they've spent a few breaths simply holding one another does she move to take care of him. Do you want to shower, or go straight to bed? Wait - have you eaten? It wouldn't be the first time they had dinner in bed, but she would see to it that he was fed before they retreated away from the world for the night.
I used to sing about being free Oh, baby, look what you've done to me
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.
// ships are launching from my chest some have names but most do not //
If anything, it helps because she, too, is in the same figurative boat (or has been,) as he currently finds himself. So he focuses instead on the next, stuffing down those feelings that he’s kept bottled up for so long that she’s allowed him to spill over, content to let the relief of pressure be enough for him for now while he comes to terms with it all.
Her soft regal voice reaches him through the attuned bond, and he does manage a soft little huff of a sound that could be considered as close to a laugh as he can get in this space, nodding when he reaches for her to utter a quiet, exhausted you do. Lately, the believing in himself has gotten easier – the further away from the war and the things he’s had to do that in the end hadn’t even mattered have been the tiniest of boons to keep him afloat, realizing that there are things that he can do and succeed at, that he can believe in himself with.
Regardless, he reaches for her and pulls her in, murmurs sweet tones of Korofi to her as she presses into his hand like a starving plant and he’s the sun. He feels her surprise and he cherishes it selfishly, feeling her smooth, delicate hands squeeze along his neck and forearms in a way that can convey feelings far better than his own words can.
His lips find her forehead, gentle and tender as they spend the few moments in each other’s space, Petronella busies herself with exploring the expanse of Sunjata’s shoulders again, but he leans in to steal a chaste kiss in response to her attuned question. A shower would be nice. I did eat before the final stretch home, but if you want something sweet I wouldn’t say no. He pulls away slightly to look upon her with a raised brow, stuffing those sensations further down for the bout of relaxed playfulness of having a dessert right before bed.
For now, everything is right for him. She’s home and in his arms and safe. And even though Petronella sparks uncertainty and fear in its baseline, for now she too is safe. And it soothes him enough to set the sea panther onto the bed, to take Hotaru's hand and pull her in toward the shower to get started on the rest of their evening.
- FIN <333
the flood
// if you find one, please, let me know what piece i've lost //
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
