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Character of the Season
Frail in body but dangerously quick of mind, Nikandr is the sort of character who proves that curiosity can be just as perilous as any weapon. A necromancer, inventor, and problem-solver with more ambition than self-preservation, Niki approaches the world like a puzzle box begging to be opened, even when what’s inside has teeth. Blunt, dry-witted, fiercely independent, and carrying a history best left partially buried, he has a knack for making even failure feel fascinating. Whether he’s raising the dead, moving across Caido to King's End, or experiencing a hangover for the first time, Nikandr brings a wonderfully strange spark to Caido, and we can’t wait to see what trouble his brilliant mind wanders into next.
Congratulations, Niki!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
Standing there, killing time, Can't commit to anything but a crime
There's blood along her blade, droplets splattering to the floor as she spins, but they're small and insignificant, just enough to warn Colt of who she's messing with. Keeping in mind that the fountain is right down the street, Thal doesn't stop to worry or consider the injury. They'd already agreed not to hold back, and she isn't about to start pulling her punches for someone she barely knows.
Spinning out of her attack, she takes to her feet in a low crouch behind Colt just as the knife comes flying at her. It's not a great throw, haphazard and panicked, but it forces her to delay her next attack as her light feet dance away from the projectile. In fact, it gives her a chance to see the woman brandish her sharp and impressive and dangerous - pencil.
The serious and dangerous pinch of her features brightens for a moment in disbelieving laughter that she doesn't manage to smother. "You going to write me to death?" Her genuine amusement is a rarity, pushing away the shadows in her eyes for something light and unburdened. It's a glimpse at something beneath, someone younger and carefree that doesn't leave completely when she's slipping back into the rhythm of battle. Thal grins and shakes her head, then lunges forward again, slicing her dagger towards Colt's chest and daring her to try blocking it with her pencil.
Well life's got a lot of sticks and stones And a blade that'll cut you to the bone But if you're doing what you love and it kills you Well, you can live with that all day long
The sound of the laugh draws Colt's exasperated scowl away from the lead blade she's got pinched between her fingers. It's enough to scatter some of the haze that comes with hurt. For a moment the sharp edge of concentration in her amber eyes dulls back into something a little easier. Her focus slides past the pencil to the crouching tiger across from her that's dressed like a girl. Her own smile cracks open, a dry huff of a laugh leaking out. "It's like they say sugar, words hurt." She tilts her head with a click of her tongue, suggesting that she just might write something cutting to Thal, although Colt definitely has more experience with the barbs of spoken word.
The peace is short lived, and Colt expects nothing less. She's forced to take a staggering step back as Thal presses in, her free hand once more snapping out to try and redirect the blade elsewhere. This time she tries to drive the momentum of the thrust further up, her body rolling back away from the sharp point, her head especially sucking back in her best imitation of a scared turtle. "Hey!" she admonishes half heartedly, her slanted smile suggesting as much. "Not the fucking tits," Spoken as if Thal has just crossed a boundary of well established woman's code that it need not be spoken (compared to, hey don't kill me).
Her pencil hand tries to stab the point down into Thal's arm as Colt continues to try and step back and away from the pressure of Thal's advance. Her hip bumps a nearby pool table though, and she fumbles to edge around it.
3/4 tries to redirect Thal's knife up and stab her in the arm with the sharp pencil.
So, if you got a fire, don't lose it If you got a do-or-die dream, do it If you got somethin' to prove, go on and prove it If it's in your blood, fallin' down ain't enough Gettin' back up, that's the only backup plan you need
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Standing there, killing time, Can't commit to anything but a crime
Thal knows better than most how much words can hurt, but she keeps her mouth shut, focusing on the fight. Her dagger slashes air, pushing Colt back. It might not have landed, but the offense has, Thal's grin spreading at the playful admonishment. "Then don't make them such easy targets." The sparkle in her eyes says she doesn't regret it one bit. Pirates don't fight fair. They capitalize on any weaknesses - including a shift in stance.
Trying to use the slight kilting of Colt's balance from the table she's dodging, Thal suddenly vanishes from the path of the incoming pencil, darting forward at a crouch. She's propped in a lunge when she reappears next to the woman, leg swinging out in an attempt to take her feet out from under her.
Well life's got a lot of sticks and stones And a blade that'll cut you to the bone But if you're doing what you love and it kills you Well, you can live with that all day long
Magic always does her in, barely ready for the physical challenges much less the meta ones. She only has time to blink and then Thalassa reappears beside her, quick and mean as a viper that you never even saw before it bites. A garbled swear chokes out of Colt as she tries to stagger back, half out of survival, half out of startle. Thal's got her though, and the leg sweep is clean as it cuts through Colt's balance.
Her one arm windmills, the other scrabbles along the pool table, grabbing one of the sticks. She falls flat on her back, fall only slightly helped by her elbow hooking the table edge for a moment, but it's still enough to knock the air from her. She struggles to gasp for it back, but she'd be damned if she'd go out without swinging. It's a frantic, last-ditch effort of a maneuver as she swings the pool cue around to beam Thalassa across the side of her shoulder. Just the effort of swinging it is enough to steal the last of the fight out of her, Colt dropping it with a thud, followed by the soft sound of it rolling while she continues to impersonate a fish on the ground.
She's hit the dirt plenty of times in her lift, an several have been rather abrupt, a horse underneath her one moment and the next seeming to have teleported with all the skill off an Ancient. Doesn't make it any easier in the moment, and a low groan says as much as she starts to roll onto her side. "You gotta teach me that move," she wheezes, in clear surrender of this brawl. Gods, she wants nothing more than that shot of tequila she left on the bar now.
4/4 Colt gets knocked over by Thal and tries to swing a pool cue at her shoulder.
So, if you got a fire, don't lose it If you got a do-or-die dream, do it If you got somethin' to prove, go on and prove it If it's in your blood, fallin' down ain't enough Gettin' back up, that's the only backup plan you need
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Standing there, killing time, Can't commit to anything but a crime
Her leg connects with muscle, forcing Colt down towards the floor. It's not a quick fall. There are flailing limbs and groans and a few chuckles from the crowd when the pool stick smacks softly against Thal's shoulder. The contact is hard enough to hurt - and maybe bruise - but she'll take that any day over the wounded ego Colt must have. Losing is bad enough, but to end sprawled on the floor after pulling a pencil from her quiver? That's pretty bad.
At least it's entertainment, and the men all seem content with the show, money and chuckles exchanging as they begin to plan out the next round, some even betting they can take Thal. She tries not to laugh too loud at that, choosing to keep her cards close to her chest as she takes to her feet. Looking down at the woman, she subtly shrugs her shoulder of the ache beginning to form, doubtful that Colt is willing to take the step to actually learn how it is Thal can do what she can. Still, she raises an amused eyebrow as she says, "Unless you want to take up the mantle for Dygra, I think you'll have to stick with the mundane dodging." Her hand reaches forward, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips in an almost friendly offer. "But I'll happily spar with you again."
Well life's got a lot of sticks and stones And a blade that'll cut you to the bone But if you're doing what you love and it kills you Well, you can live with that all day long
Colt is not above taking the offered help to stand, grateful they did this in a Torchline bar instead of one in her city where the memory of it would be more likely to haunt her. Thal is right though, Colt has no interest in devoting herself to Dygra.
With a groan while getting back to her feet, Colt dusts herself off. She adjusts her quiver a bit, making a mental note to stock more than one knife for the future, not quite able to pull off John Wick level pencil moves, it'd seem. A bit of a smirk breaks in, especially now that the thrill of it all is over and she's unlikely to have to fend off any further assaults. "You'll kick my ass again, you mean," Colt huffs, not too proud to know when she's been beat. "But, deal." Maybe one of these fights she'd do more than lick her wounded ego and wonder why she ever stepped into the ring.
"C'mon, let's get drunk and fuck off home," she offers, already winding her way back to her participation prize on the bartop.
[FIN]
So, if you got a fire, don't lose it If you got a do-or-die dream, do it If you got somethin' to prove, go on and prove it If it's in your blood, fallin' down ain't enough Gettin' back up, that's the only backup plan you need
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
