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!
With LongNight over and a lot of their patrons heading home now that the sunlight had come back, Thorn finds himself wandering the House of Midnight out of pure boredom. The patrons that had already come in so far have already been accounted for – and he watches from the edge of the bar as people flit in and out, seeking out food and drink rather than pleasure.
How boring.
He’s already annoyed the bartender enough with his pointless questions, simply just trying to kill time until he has somethingor someone to do, legs propped up on the booth he sits on, back against the wall, a tasty little fruity nonalcoholic drink at his side, and an ashtray full of ash and a snuffed out cigarette. It gives him the perfect advantage to watching the door while also juuuust barely out of the way of the bartender to keep from hearing his complaints.
While Elyria wouldn’t necessarily turn down all the pleasures the House of Midnight had to offer, she came to the brothel on business. All the way from Stormbreak to King’s End, the lioness had come to learn a few tips and tricks from the head of the clinic. Ellyra knew there was an underserved population of people in Stormbreak. Very few of them had the courage to come to the clinic for treatment, even if they would be treated with the utmost respect and kindness by Dr. Hart. So, Dr. Hart sent Ellyra to learn from those who were already doing the practice.
She found the House of Midnight to be surprisingly pleasant. Those that she spoke to on her way through the halls and to the clinic were exceptionally kind and warm, inviting her to all sorts of activities for when her work was done. Honestly, she was looking forward to doing something fun after work. She hadn’t unwound in such an inviting place in a long, long time.
So, when she finished her lessons and her shadowing, she made her way to the bar. It was hazy and the lights were dimmed, but Ellyra vibrated with a light and energy that emanated into every corner of the place. Leaning her forearms against the bar, she asked the bartender to surprise her with something she wouldn’t even know would get her buzzed until it was too late.
Baby, I'm dying for another taste
Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd
Again and again more people flit around here and there, and again and again Thorn is bored out of his mind. At least, until someone enters the bar from a different part of the brothel – looking like she’d come from the clinic. Well, that’s curious. It’s enough of a strangeness that he racks his mind over whether or not there was some event going on today, and when he comes up with some passing notion of a woman from Stormbreak coming to shadow and learn, suddenly things start to fall into place.
The woman certainly sparks enough interest for him that he pulls himself from the booth he’d claimed as his own, to let his green blue gaze scan over the bartender to cut any sideways remarks, before he slinks into the seat beside her, bold enough to sit so that his torso faces her, face bearing a playful smile of greeting. He wears a thin dark grey shirt that’s more akin to a crop top than anything else, revealing the edges of his vine tattoos that snake up his chest, hidden away by the waistband of his pants. “Hey. How'd the lessons go?” He asks, his voice rich and surprisingly deep for such a smooth, innocent looking face; severely hoping that he's assumed correct in the information whispered throughout the House of Midnight.
Smiling with appreciation to the bartender as he passed over a drink, Ellyra nearly turned right into the man who approached and sat beside her. Her smile didn’t falter, even as her eyes trailed up from his chest to his seafoam gaze. ”Oh, yeah,” She started, settling on to the bar stool she had ordered from. She sucked a big gulp of her drink through the thin straw before she continued, ”They were great. Did you know the doctors here are working on their own form of a medicine that can be taken orally to help treat infections? So cool.” Her eyes widened with amazement and her head shook with the respect and awe she felt for what she had witnessed.
”It’s really innovative work they’re doing here, you know!” Her voice came as a chime over the music playing that she hardly noticed. Taking another drink before setting her glass on the bar top, Ellyra lifted her hand some. ”Oh, but I’m sure you really don’t care about that. I’m just nerding out though.” She wiped her hand on her thigh, the moisture leaving her palm and staining her tights temporarily darker. ”I’m Ellyra.” she introduced herself, sticking out her now dry hand.
Baby, I'm dying for another taste
Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd
Her smile brightens his own as Thorn watches her take a sip of her drink. He remains exactly in the same position, though, as she nerds out on what they’re working on here – all of which are things he hasn’t invested in himself, only showing up there when required. But the clinic was nice regardless, and if he was as interested in medicine as she were, perhaps he’d spend more time there rather than here, pushing at the patience of the bartender.
And even though he isn’t on the clock yet, hopefully, he readjusts his head slightly where it sits propped up on his fist, keeping himself open so that she can look as much as she wanted to. “No, it is cool.” He agrees, just a second away from letting himself lay it on too thick and say something stupid like if you think it’s cool, then I think it’s cool.
He straightens, though, as she extends her hand and introduces herself, the hand that had propped up his head now drops to take hers in a gentle, lingering handshake. “I’m Thorn.” He introduces himself in turn, another tattoo of vines spotted on the wrist of the hand that shakes her own. “So, Ellyra, now that work is done, what’s your plan for the rest of the trip?” He asks, still having not removed his hand from hers, letting his gaze focus and linger on her face with the wide, happy smile that remains on his face.
Still feeling all the excitement from her day and the encouragement from the work of the doctors and nurses here, Ellyra was content to go on when Hawthorn allowed it. ”I came all the way from Stormbreak to see what they’re doing here. It’s not as…friendly of an endeavor in Stormbreak, for workers of similar establishments to seek out medical treatment. So if I can learn the needs and bring them the resources right to there doors, well,” she sighed slightly, letting her hand settle in to his, ”it can just change a lot of things.”
It was when he kept her land in his that it clicked in Ellyra’s brain that he wasn’t just another patron to the House. He worked here. Warmth flooded her cheeks and her ears but she didn’t look away from him, nor let her hand fall from his. ”Ive been invited to a few different things.” she said, a playful glint in her honey eyes as she let her gaze briefly move from sea foam to their hands and back. ”The night is young and full of possibilities. Especially if I have a few more of those.” she indicated to her drink with her chin.
Baby, I'm dying for another taste
Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd
His acceptance of her answer is enough to let her lead the way on continuing – all information that was important for Thorn to follow the second that it clicked and made sense. Of course he’d heard of the brothel in the Silk Houses. But no, he’s never been, since he was Abandoned. It was one of the few places he’d not visited, though a part of him itched to see the architecture and the buildings of such an old, important location. Regardless, he was here to listen to her stories, and the fact that it pertained to something involving people like him? It was just a cherry on top. “That’s incredible.” He offers, appreciation lingering in his gaze. “Admittedly, there are few places that allow such an open conversation about this kind of work, especially medically.” Here and Torchline are the only two that come to mind, (having not visited the Grounds since choosing to come here, that is).
But he realizes it the second that it clicks that he isn’t just another stranger choosing to stay a night in the House of Midnight. This had become his work and his home, and it’s with a twitch of his lips that tilt it a bit more playful that he scans her face with that seafoam gaze of his, picking up on the warmth and the fact her hand hasn’t left his own. His fingertips stroke a gentle motion in the soft skin of her hand, and he offers a soft chuckle of a laugh at the mention of the drinks. “Have any of them interested you so far?” He asks curiously, before he breaks his eye contact with her to glance back at the bartender (who he’s certainly on the nerves of now and is more than content to let Ellyra keep Thorn distracted). “He does make the best drinks.” He says to her, while his gaze lingers on the bartender, a wink offered to the bartender’s direction.
And a second later, he has his own drink to match, slid over to him as the bartender offers a kinder smile to Ellyra than Thorn would receive today. ‘Let me know if he’s bothering you. He’s been restless since LongNight ended.’ The bartender informs her, all while Thorn’s hand slips from the attuned’s to press against his heart in a flare of dramatics. “Wow, Jaz, after I complimented you?!” He knows it’s all in good fun, of course, but should Ellyra not be interested, Thorn knows precisely when to back off.
Oh, he was very good at his job, even if he hadn’t really started yet. Ellyra didn’t take her hand from his even as he stroked small patterns into her skin. ” I hope to change that perspective in my field, at least. If the world at large won’t accept it as part of our society, I certainly will.” She tilted her head some with her words, golden hair cascading off her shoulder.
Ellyra’s eyes followed Hawthorn’s as he turned to the bartender, but like a lioness crouched in Savannah grass, her eyes snapped back to his face when he winked. ”There have been a few I might try…” She said, a fiery spark of courage starting in the furnace of her heart, ”unless you’ve got a better offer.”
When the bartender acknowledged her again, Ellyra snapped her head up as if she were pulled out of some sort of trance. It was let she let her hand slip from Thorn’s grip. She grasped the edge of the bar for a moment as she adjusted herself on her stool, pulling her legs beneath her to perch on her shins. She smiled a toothy smile at the bartender before taking her glass back in her hands and giggling, ”I’ll be okay.”
Baby, I'm dying for another taste
Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd
“Well, I’ll certainly appreciate it.” Thorn offers with an equally bright smile, watching as her golden hair falls over her shoulder. But his attention remains on her as he questions whether or not she’s already been accounted for. He hopes not, given that Jaz is right in the assumption that he’s been restless. He’s pent up and more than ready to indulge in someone else’s fantasies for however long they requested of him.
Brows raise with a small smirk blooming on his face at her comment, his head tilting just enough as if he tries to get a read on her. “I don’t have much, but, I’ve got rooms that can become whatever you want it to be, food and drink supplied.” He starts the little pitch with the biggest and important part. “And you’ve got me who can be whomever you want me to be.” This is said with another little wink, refraining from mentioning any particular fantasy in mind. Obviously he cant change his appearance with the rooms, but he can put on his acting skills to be like whomever she’d like, whether it be letting her take the reins or wanting him to take control.
It dies off quickly with Jaz’s rude interjection, even if it’s fun, and she shifts back on her stool and giggles – a good sign by Thorn’s account, and he hums a soft chuckle himself as he turns to his own glass to take a heavy sip – not expecting it to have the sting of alcohol that it does. Not that he’s complaining, of course, he’d just gotten so used to the virgin drinks that he hadn’t expected the pleasant burn.
Turning back to Ellyra slightly, he shifts comfortably on the stool in a way that looks as relaxed as he can while still coming off appealing, before he speaks with a playful roll of his eyes. “And apparently you can add restless to the long list of things I can offer you.”
11-06-2023, 07:02 PM (This post was last modified: 11-06-2023, 07:03 PM by Ellyra.)
Candy, she's sweet like candy in my veins
Her gaze met his with an arched brow and a mischievous smile, her golden hair cascading over her shoulder like a cascading waterfall of sunshine. "Well, Thorn, you certainly know how to make an offer sound tempting," she purred, her voice laced with a subtle, sultry tone.
She leaned in slightly, her eyes locked onto his, her own flirtatious smirk mirroring his earlier playfulness. "Rooms that can become whatever I want them to be, you say? That's quite the promise," she replied. Her words carried a thick honey tone that felt warm against her own lips even as she lifted the straw to finish off her first drink.
"Do you dance?" She asked, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her glass. If the rooms could be whatever she wanted them to be, and he could be whomever and whatever she wanted him to be, why not make it all worth it?
She would pay for it, after all. It was the nature of this place, in the end, and Ellyra knew she hadn't been picked just because of how she looked.
She was not dumb, even as the bartender set another drink down beside her with a tsk.
Baby, I'm dying for another taste
Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd
“I do try.” Thorn responds, equally as playful and full of a tone that hints a bit closer toward huskiness. He remains still as she leans in, letting his seafoam gaze drift along her pale face and honeyed eyes, long gilded hair that frames it perfectly. “It’s a brilliant thought, isn’t it?” He purrs back, able to keep up the playful smirk on his face, all while trying his best to convince her that she should seek it out.
Her question is a surprise, though he doesn’t let it show on his face, keeping that very same smile as he takes another sip from his own drink – sitting back on the bar stool just a fraction to not seem too desperate. It’s then that he watches the bartender with amusement despite the tsk, turning his head toward her as he toys with the straw with a finger as he nods. “I do, in fact, dance.” It wasn’t anything to write home about, but he could certainly get by well enough to please whomever was his dance partner at the time. “Would you like to?”
Ellyra's gaze lingered on Thorn, a hint of anticipation in her honeyed eyes. She couldn't deny the magnetic attraction that drew her to him, their playful banter serving as a seductive prelude to what promised to be an enchanting evening.
Thorn's seafoam eyes held her in their spell, and she found herself lost in their depths. "Yes." she purred, her voice a sultry invitation.
With a languid grace, Ellyra slid off her stool, her golden hair flowing like liquid silk as she moved. Before she could walk away, though, she made sure to down the drink that was just set in front of her. That would certainly make the evening more fun. Then, she placed a delicate hand on his arm.
As they made their way to the dance area, Ellyra couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The air was charged with anticipation, and she was eager to explore where this encounter would lead.
Baby, I'm dying for another taste
Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd
He watches her, awaiting her response – imagining that since she’d posed the question it was likely she did in fact wish to dance. So it isn’t surprise that crosses Thorn’s face when she agrees, but a smooth and easy smile as he meets her eyes and hears her sultry acceptance to his invitation. She slips off the stool with surprising ease and he isn’t far behind her, the clothes he wears tight enough in all the right places to draw attention where he wanted them, loose enough to give an airy feel when it comes to movement, flutters like a breeze as he follows her, pausing only as she finishes off her drink.
Her hand finds his arm and he guides her to the dancing area, listening to the music as it filters throughout the room, and he gently takes her hand in his, drawing her close so that his other hand can slip along her lower back. His hands are warm and gentle, little to no callouses there aside from some that might come from flipping pages in a book, as if he’s meticulous about how he looks and how he keeps himself (he is). This close, too, he smells reminiscent of lavender, alongside a deeper, darker note of mahogany and cedar.
It's with that same playful smile that he starts to move them, keeping his hand in hers and his other at her lower back against him, he leads the dance with a practiced motion, fluid and graceful as he dances with her to the soft, pulsating music. "If you want to take the lead, you can. Otherwise, I'm happy to be your guide." He murmurs in a gentle, saccharine whisper to her ear, loud enough to be heard over the music.
As Thorn led Ellyra to the dance floor, the air seemed to hum with a palpable energy. She was captivated by the effortless grace in his movements, the fabric of his clothing hinting at both the sculpted form beneath and a freedom that embraced the dance. His presence was magnetic, drawing her into the rhythm of the music -- and she knew it was because this was his job, but she didn't care.
Feeling his warm hand in hers and the gentle placement on her lower back, Ellyra couldn't help but be intrigued by the scent that enveloped him—notes of lavender intertwined with the deeper, earthy tones of mahogany and cedar. It was a fragrance that matched the allure of the night. A scent that she didn't catch much of, and honestly thought about how she could wear it herself.
The dance began with a subtle sway, Thorn's practiced steps guiding them in harmony with the pulsating music. As he whispered into her ear, Ellyra couldn't resist a soft laugh. "Guide away," she replied, her voice a sultry echo over the music.
Their dance unfolded with a delicate ebb and flow, a dance of desire set against the backdrop of the mysterious night. Thorn's presence, both confident and gentle, made Ellyra feel comfortable, and she eased into the feeling as the alcohol eased through her bloodstream.
Baby, I'm dying for another taste
Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd
