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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!
Lena had heard the roar too, and it was enough for her to send one singular command through the Attuned bond. Mittens looked boldly upright, and clearly thought about making a face, but instead, pouted and went to hover over in the corner; as if putting itself in time out.
Shaking her head and wondering if the two companions together was too overwhelming for both, she kept it in the back of her mind for future endeavors and trials. Her focus had to be on the cooking for now though, watchful, vigilant, and observant, while still instilling some independence without needing to immediately rescue.
The question in his eyes was enough, and she walked over to the stove. “See this dial here?” She pointed to each of the notches, showing the differences between the numbers and indicators. “This is for the level of heat used.” Then she turned it to medium, listening to the click and the subtle roar under the burner, moving the pan over it. “There, now we have both going. You’ll have to turn over the meat in a little bit, to make sure everything is cooked properly.” She snagged at a tool, and showed him how to do so, without dropping anything to the floor or directly on the stove.
Mittens' depressive exile to the corner was not Sol's idea of a truce, and it definitely wasn't fun. With a sad rumble, he searched the room for something to rectify the situation. His golden form made its way around before spotting a piece of rolled up packing material that must have gotten missed. Carrying it gently, the dragon made his way over to the 'time-out' corner, eyes pleading and hopefully as he offered the 'ball' that he'd found to the other companion. Sol sat with his tail wrapped around his legs, chirping to get the snowball's attention.
Leaving the companions to work out their own problems, Zavien narrowed his focus to the stove's dial. He fidgeted with it to get a feel for how to operate the machinery. Lena made it look easy, so he tried his best to not overthink the process. It turned to medium, flaring the fire beneath the pan, just as it had when she'd done it. While Lena placed the meat inside, he took a moment to look at the pasta again, remembering to stir it as previously instructed. It made him smile, looking to the Caretaker for confirmation that he'd done the right thing.
As he inspected the meat in the pan, he asked, "How will I know when to flip it?" 'A little bit' didn't seem very specific, and his instincts told him to wait until he saw smoke, like with a firepit (not that he'd every properly cooked anything on a firepit either).
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Mittens, despite its constant state of antics, didn’t like to be scolded, held accountable for its actions, or anything in between. So it did pout, but held its ground within the time out sanction, staring abysmally at the wall, and only shifting its head towards Sol briefly – stony little eyes narrowing, wondering if this was some kind of ruse or trick.
Lena was also content to let Mittens and Sol work through their issues, as her concentration was solely on tending to cooking. She gave him a proud smile as he stirred the pasta, nodding, and then listened to the inquiry. A fair one. “You’ll have to check every so often. If it’s still pink, it can stay on that side a little longer.” She lifted the side of one of the blink hare pieces to show still rosy segments of color, before placing it back down. “See? Not ready yet. We’ll give it another minute and then look again.” The sizzle was telling though. “How is the pasta looking?”
Being the persistently optimistic little dragon he was, Sol sat 'patiently' as he waited for the other companion to accept his offer. When it didn't happen immediately, his tail flicked, and he dropped the ball, pushing it forward with his snout. He let out a small whine, head tilting to give Mittens his best puppy eyes. In his short life thus far, he'd perfected that look.
Zavien paid attention to Lena's answer, leaning close to see the same rosy hue she did. He squinted his eyes and nodded his head in understanding. Seemed simple enough. Although despite the rarity of the meat, the smell was still enticing. It made his eyes drift closed as he took a deep breath of the sizzling blink hare, smiling softly. When he opened his eyes again, Zavien looked to Lena. "I sure hope this cooks quick. It almost smells too good to wait." Chuckling, he stood back to his full height, inspecting the pasta as he stirred it again. "I think it's almost done?" It'd been a few minutes and the noodles had softened enough to wrap around the spoon as he moved the spoon through the water.
Grabbing his cheat card, Zavien took a moment to read the next step. "It mentions cutting vegetables to cook with the meat once it's finished. Should we do that now?"
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Mittens had never adopted the puppy eyes – mostly because given all of its antics, it would’ve never worked. Too many were used to the screaming, screeching, and bizarre motions that left them flummoxed and bewildered, which was how the abominable snowball had liked it. So it was left perplexed on Sol’s wiles, before opting to simply snatch the ball into its mouth, in a very so there platitude.
She waited for Zavien’s inspection, and casual enjoyment of the aromas, with her own amused expression. Grinning, she nodded, before checking the hare again, and then flipping it. “The pasta looks good. We can turn the heat down and keep it warm while the meat still cooks.” She demonstrated again, turning the dial to the smallest and lowest margin; allowing for the boil to slowly dissipate into nothing than a few bubbles.
Content that she didn’t need to poke or prod about the next direction, she nodded, beginning to pick through the vegetables she’d procured at the market that morning. “We can. It’ll enhance some flavors too.” Grabbing hold, she demonstrated the options in her arms. “I’ve got carrots, potatoes, and onions. Any of them would go well.” Or all, if he so chose.
Absolutely ecstatic that Mittens had accepted his offering, Sol devolved into bouncing excitement again. He kept his distance enough for the snowball to initiate the game. Maybe it was fetch? Or catch? Or keep-away? Whatever it was, Sol was ready, tail swishing along the floor in anticipation of the companion's next move.
Watching Lena flip the meat and turn down the heat, Zavien tried to keep track of all the moving pieces. He wasn't much for 'multi-tasking,' although he tried his best. It just seemed to make his brain overheat, darting between a million things. He much preferred the one-track objective of a good battle. Coordinating food was nothing like that. However, he pushed aside his nerves again to take in the vegetable options. "Let's use the carrots and onions." He accepted them from her grasp to place on the cutting board. Wanting to be proactive again, he picked up the knife to begin, but his eyes narrowed with confusion. The carrots had a rough exterior that had him wondering if it should be removed. Would it taste any good? And how was he supposed to cut the onion? He didn't think he'd ever seen it done before, and there was a flaky external layer that had him fidgeting. "Ummm. How do I do this?" The light blush appeared on his cheeks again as he gave Lena a playful grin to wash away the insecurity.
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Despite the dragon’s anticipation, Mittens simply glared, and then swallowed the ball whole. With an all-mighty snowball belch, it then floated away from the corner, hovering towards the top of the ceiling. Maybe eager to see the next move. Maybe to antagonize. It was difficult to tell.
Lena, meanwhile, scurried about finding some goggles the moment Zavien opted for the onions. She had some from working with a variety of venomous creatures in the Celestine, and filtered through a nearby bag, before arriving back at the counter in a hasty breath. “Okay, you’ll want to put these on first.” Securing hers to the top of her head and then utilizing them over her eyes, she might’ve looked like she was about to embark into a scientific experiment – but the Caretaker was always there to explain. “Onions release some enzymes and acids that will cause our eyes to react. They’ll feel like they’re burning and you’ll end up crying.” And though the Attuned would take no issue in shed tears, she certainly didn’t want any over cooking.
Waiting for him to follow her accord, she then began to demonstrate the process of cutting the food. She took one of the sharp knives and sliced the bottom, then the top end, exposing the layers. She then followed by peeling the initial, brown skin coating off, and thereafter, the following layer, by gently piercing a portion, and beginning to take that away too. She proudly displayed it thereafter, beginning to show off the neat portions. “Want to try on yours?”
A wave of shock rippled through Sol's little body as he watched the ball vanish within the snowball. It was sacrilege to eat such a perfectly good toy. He channeled his inner Mittens as he almost let out a screech of indignation. A pathetic squeak came out instead as he rushed to Zavien. Soft sniffles like sobs came from his snout as he pushed his head into the Dragoon's neck. Cooing gently to his companion, Zavien rubbed a hand along his golden scales. "Awww. It's okay, buddy. We'll get you a different toy." Sol didn't seem to like the idea, whining as he tucked his wings tighter. "There there. I know the perfect thing to cheer you up." Careful not to burn his hand, he took a piece of blink hare from the pan, offering it to the dragon. Previous transgressions were quickly forgotten as he accepted the treat, stealing it away to his own corner for safe keeping, especially from heartless snowballs.
Zavien shook his head, turning to find Lena wearing a pair of goggles. His eyes widened as a smile appeared on his face. "Good thing you're always prepared." Chuckling, he accepted his own pair, putting them on. They pressed against his eyes uncomfortably as he looked to her, grinning playfully. "Do I look 'official' with these on?" 'Smart' seemed like a stretch, but he'd settle for anything other than 'ridiculous.' He would hate to cry in front of Lena so soon into their relationship.
Inspecting her work, he thought he got the gist of onion cutting. "Sure." Zavien placed a knife to his own onion, first slicing off the top then bottom before shedding the outer layer. "Like that?"
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Despite being overly prepared, Lena hadn’t been for Mittens’ reaction. Taking a long, deep, slow breath, and understanding it had been rattled, bothered by Sol’s treatment of the its space, the response hadn’t been wonderful either. As Zavien consoled the dragon, the Caretaker sighed and intervened with her own companion, and through silent intentions, snagged at the lowering and head-hanging cretin. “Let’s take a break outside, hm? And Sol needs the ball back.” She didn’t think it would be something normally digested anyway – and so the little beast was permitted outside for a little bit, until it could at least come to some dignified semblance.
“Sorry,” Lena uttered as she returned. “No idea what got into it,” other than being overwhelmed – something they’d need to work on. Huffing and retreating back to the task at hand, she snorted at the Dragoon’s question. “Mm. Official and dashing.” Like he was ready to go experimenting, skiing on the slopes, or diving into the local lake. But then she was flipping over the hare again, and inspecting the cutting process. “Looks good. And no tears.” She winked, wrinkling her nose thereafter, before taking her knife again and going towards the carrots. Opting for a peeler for the outer layers, she pared them quickly and efficiently. “These are pretty simple too,” and let him watch the rest of her demonstration.
Despite Mittens' actions, Zavien felt bad for the companion, hoping that it wouldn't mind spending some time outside. "That's okay. Sol can be a little much sometimes." He laughed, completely unconcerned with the whole ordeal. The dragon had a short attention span, quickly washing away his worries with a treat. His sweet heart was also quick to forgive and forget. Sol was already making his way through the house again, looking for Mittens.
With the crisis averted and the house still standing, Zavien tapped his finger on the eye protection. "Good. I was worried they only looked good on you." He fumbled a wink through the goggles, laughing at the absurdity of it all, including plants that could make people cry. Lena's progression to the carrots had him following her lead, picking up his own to cut alongside her. It was easier work than thinking as the knife crunched pleasantly through the thick vegetable. By the time they were cut, the meat looked about finished. "Should we add them in the pan now?"
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Lena still kept the notions in the back of her mind, despite Zavien’s insistence on Sol being a lot, because Mittens could be too. And if they were going to be around each other more and more, it would be prudent and wise to come up with a solution other than separation. Something to ponder over; her experience with sentient abominable snowballs was thusly limited to her companion alone.
Then the Caretaker was laughing at the compliments, before figuring they were safe from the plant, and lifting her goggles back to the top of her head. “Mm.” She hummed in agreement, bringing her portions of cut vegetables over to the pan and lightly adding them to the dish. A bright sizzle concocted immediately, and with the aromas melding together, the whole meal seemed as if it’d be wonderful. She kept checking over the meat as Zavien placed his vegetables too. “Anything else on the card?” Attention to detail and thoroughness was crucial in cooking, just as it was in many an occupation.
Zavien wasn't nearly as concerned about the companions getting along, sure that they just needed time. Sol was still young, after all. Even if they never became the best of friends, they would have to learn to tolerate each other to some extent. Especially since he wasn't about to stop seeing Lena for such a menial reason. (Sorry Mittens. Not sorry.)
After adding his own vegetables to the pan, he pulled out his card again, reading through the script. "Ummm. Something about adding a sauce?" Whether that was something they had to make or something premade, he had no idea, but he added, "It looks like after that it's just combining everything." And then eating it. Not that anyone had to guess which he was looking forward to the most. Stealing a piece of meat from the pan when Lena wasn't looking, he popped it in his own mouth. The satisfied groan might have given him away as he tried to playfully hide his actions, smiling all the while.
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
“Sauce…,” she hummed to herself, already investigating the cupboards. She could hear him sampling the dish while she looked, and the Caretaker shook her head, glancing at him over her shoulder. “I take it the meat is done then? Check one of them to see if the middle is pink or not.” Though Sol had some earlier, dragons had a much more robust means and measures of digestion than humans, especially considering they’d eat most anything raw.
Eventually, she grabbed hold of several jars she’d had amidst the cabinets, placing the glass wares of tomato sauce down on the counter, options and decisions to be made. “Garlic…though I think we have enough of that with the onions…cheese…and plain.”
While he made considerations, she figured Mittens had earned the right to come back inside, and upon opening the door, found the glowering companion, and slightly scarred ball, on the stoop. It glared at Sol as it passed through to the living room, nose upturned and snooty.
Unsurprisingly caught, Zavien gave her a wide smile. "Tastes good to me!" Just for good measure, he grabbed another, tearing it apart to check for pink. Not spotting any, he popped that one into his mouth too. "Yep. Definitely done." Flashing Lena another smile, he considered the options she presented, humming deeply. "I think cheese is probably the way to go. Cheese goes with everything after all." Taking the jar from her, he shrugged his shoulders and dumped it in with the meat and vegetables. Whether he was supposed to dump it in yet didn't occur to him as he mixed it in, quite pleased with himself regardless. Tempted to take another bite, he looked to Lena. "Do you think it's ready?" He knew he was ready.
As Mittens passed, nose upturned, Sol looked on with his head cocked adorably in confusion. Having already forgotten the reason for any animosity, he snagged the 'ball' and followed behind slowly, more curious than anything.
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
