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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!
Don't you just wanna wake up dark as a lake Smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze?
So kinda yes, kinda no on the feud being his fault. Koa looks down as Zavien begins his tale, more than a little put out by the fact that apparently everyone knew about Kaisel and Fora before he did. But then he brings up lying to Lena, and the Dragoon's eyes grow wide in alarm. "Lie about what?!" he asks, scoffing, because this sure feels like an escalation, even for his impetuous cousin.
Then Zavien's going on and Koa can only listen in dumbfounded bemusement, eyebrows slowly rising to the level of his hair. "He shouldn't be threatening anyone," comes his indignant interjection, the words punctuated by a flourished gesticulation with his spatula-wielding hand. But then Flora joins the mix, and now Koa's really thrown, because while he's known the Doubletake to make mountains out of molehills, threatening an entire region because of an interpersonal disagreement feels far beyond the pale.
It takes a beat after Zavien's finished for Koa to gather his thoughts, and even so the first thing he can blurt is, "What the fuck, man." Koa's grip on the spatula has tightened to the point of blanching his knuckles; he clenches his teeth in angry disbelief, the pressure shooting down his jaw. "Okay, well, first of all, I would have clocked Kai if he pulled that shit." Which perhaps would be more acceptable coming from a family member than a leader, but minor details and all that.
"And secondly, what the fuck, Flora? Stormbreak's infinitely better than Torchline, and her home wasn't fucking occupied by demon bitches from space." No, Torchline had remained sparkly and untouched while Stormbreak was made to rot from within. "And implying that she's better than you because you're an 'amateur' is rich, considering when she became Queen it was alongside Hadama, while you're having to do the whole thing alone."
He might have gone on, too, were it not for the distracting smell of burning; with another curse he returns to his slightly crispy patties, continuing to swear as he pulls them off the heat.
Moderately calmer for the distraction, Koa exhales a heavy sigh. "Honestly, Zav? Fuck 'em both," he declares, putting a firm hand on his friend's shoulder. "Flora can't handle conflict to save her life, and Kai's head is so far up his own ass it's amazing his breath doesn't smell like shit." Maybe his vitriol is getting a little exaggerated; maybe he ought to cool his head, play voice of reason as he often does. But Koa has some feelings he's been repressing, and Zav's just handed him a karaoke machine.
If you're drunk on life, babe, I think it's great But while in this world I think I'll take my whiskey neat
A half-hearted shrug attempts to dismiss the protectiveness the threat had set on him, the indignity with which Kai had been willing to lie and ruin his relationship because of his own decisions. "Something about me not wanting to marry her, even though I said nothing of the sort." He'd said he didn't think they were ready for marriage, not that he didn't want to marry her. He would have asked in a heartbeat if he thought she'd say yes. A pointless argument now.
Zavien lets Koa rant, feeling partially guilty for riling him up and further dividing him from his cousin while their world is literally falling apart. He doesn't join in the outrage, doesn't feed into the fire, choosing instead to continue cutting potatoes with the heavy resignation of someone whose already worried the issue to death, whose reached the point of emptiness and acceptance. His anger wouldn't change anything. As much as he regretted his words and hated how it had all gone down, Flora was practically untouchable, a force he couldn't and wouldn't stand against when his region was in turmoil.
Not mentioning that he nearly did clock Kai, Zavien does his best to appreciate Koa's support of his leadership and their damaged city, but it doesn't change the feeling that he could have stopped it all by keeping his mouth shut. Taking at least some of the blame so Koa doesn't combust with rage, he explains, "It just spiraled. I shouldn't have brought it up to her anyways. I learned my lesson the hard way on crossing boundaries between 'personal' and 'political' - not that it'd been my intention to." But being as personable as he is, Zavien's sure that's a line he would have crossed eventually. It's just unfortunate with how it happened, and that it happened with Koa's cousin and his ex.
When the burgers are saved and a hand comes to rest on his shoulder, he finally looks up again. His head nods in quiet agreement, even if he's not angry enough to badmouth them like his friend, he's willing to add softly, "I'm all for people being happy and being in love, but it doesn't feel like they care much for anyone who gets in the way." Koa most of all.
Whether that's true or not, he doesn't want to be involved. He'd screwed up, but it didn't feel good to have his girlfriend brought into the mix or his city insulted like that. He'd hate to see what else Flora does when someone pisses her off, and he doesn't want to be anywhere near when it happens. Instead, he turns his attention to regions other than Torchline, trying to divert the negative energy to something productive, a way to move past it all. "I think most people are heading to King's End anyways, back to where they evacuated before. I'll probably follow them there and help out if you want to tag along." The question is in his eyes, a quiet hope not to lose one more thing.
Don't you just wanna wake up dark as a lake Smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze?
"Kinda feels like she did the same thing," Koa points out, grumbly and, yes, maybe a little petulant, but he's worked up now. But Zavien doesn't seem to actually want a full-on vent session so much as a space to clear the air, and so Koa bites his tongue and stamps down the anger - he's here to support his friend, not to go onto a whole tirade about his beloved kid's cousin's idiocy.
Though what comes next hardly helps his resolve. The comment on Flora and Kai not caring about whoever they hurt on the way twists and barbs in Koa's chest; he winces, looking sharply away as emotion flares across his face. "Yeah. Well." He rolls his shoulders in what is meant to be a nonchalant shrug, suddenly very interested in starting his next set of burgers. "They say love makes you crazy. As long as they're happy, right?"
Suddenly discussing where they'll live feels much less daunting than before. "King's End is great," Koa agrees, twisting his lips thoughtfully. "And Sunjata has said before he'd be open to a branch of the Dragoons out there. Hey, pass me some buns? Might as well get 'em toasting." He leans down, rustling in a cupboard and coming back with a baking sheet. "It's either that or Halo for me, I think. I know, I hate the cold too, but the Shields are an incredible organization and... I dunno, maybe it'd be nice to start over somewhere totally fresh."
If you're drunk on life, babe, I think it's great But while in this world I think I'll take my whiskey neat
Offering a grateful smile, he lets some of the blame loosen its hold. Koa might be responding from a place of anger, but it won't do to wallow in past choices, especially when he doesn't agree with Flora anyways. So he accepts the bit of reassurance and lets that portion of the conversation fall away, although he can't help giving his opinion on the matter, his own righteous anger flaring in his chest.
He wouldn't get worked up over his own insults or transgressions, but when it comes to his friends, his expression takes on a tight firmness, a narrowing of his eyes that has less to do with exhaustion and more to do with frustration. "Yeah..." he agrees with Koa, although his tone doesn't sound convinced, silently wondering whether anyone can be truly 'happy' when they're causing the people around them so much pain. He doesn't fault someone for finding joy or clinging to the piece of happiness they're able to carve out, but not at the expense of others who deserve their own peace just as much.
Moving to grab the buns, Zavien isn't sure he likes the change in conversation quite as much as Koa. Hope blossoms in his chest at the mention of King's End, but it's quickly dashed by the suggestion of Halo, however much he understands the reasoning. A 'fresh start' with no history or responsibilities, a place they can exist without the shadows of Stormbreak hanging over them. He wonders if that's possible for someone in his position, a leader whose region is gone, a man whose lost his purpose.
"That does sound nice," he says. He sets the buns next to the pan, hiding his uncertainty in the movements of laying them out to bake. "Well, keep me updated on what you decide. I'll do what I can to support." It would at least give him something to do when this was all over.
Don't you just wanna wake up dark as a lake Smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze?
"Yeah, for sure I will. Nothing's set in stone yet." He shrugs, still fully committed to being non-committal despite the conversation. At the end of the day Koa doesn't think he'll know where he winds up until it happens; it's still next to impossible to imagine himself living anywhere but here.
Returning his attention to the task at hand, Koa sets about buttering the buns before sliding them in the oven, the better to crisp and tastyify. "Keep an eye on these guys?" he requests of Zavien, then heads off in search of toppings and condiments. A few minutes later find him returning with a small smorgasbord of goodies: the usual burger suspects plus some bonuses, like a jar of onion and jalapeno jam which Helga had begrudgingly relinquished to his care.
"Alright," Koa declares cheerfully, "Two world-class burgers coming up! And then, I dunno, maybe showers?" He tilts his head down, nose wrinkling dramatically as he takes a sniff of his own sleeve. "Okay, yup, definitely showers. I don't think I've smelled this bad since I was fifteen"
If you're drunk on life, babe, I think it's great But while in this world I think I'll take my whiskey neat
Zavien nods his head, willing to accept the uncertainty for now. It won't do to worry about a decision Koa has yet to make, and he refused to be the reason his friend chose something other than what he wanted. It wouldn't make either of them happy.
The buns are prepared and he takes his job of monitoring very seriously, crouching next to the over to ensure they didn't catch fire when he glanced away. He blinks only a few times, rushing to pull them from the heat when they turned a nice golden brown, moving like they might combust if he's a second too late (which wouldn't be a surprise with his luck).
With Koa returning, Zavien assesses the toppings while scrunching his nose at the mention of scent. He doubts he smells any better than his friend, having been out in the crowded heat all day. "That sounds like a great idea." Laughing, he prepares his burger then slips away from the kitchen in search of a quiet corner, determined to enjoy the food and company while he can.
