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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.
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03-15-2025, 01:07 PM (This post was last modified: 03-27-2025, 02:23 PM by Zavien.)
Zavien
spread love everywhere you go.
Stepping into the Observatory, Zavien couldn't fight the smile spreading across his face. Darkness had started to settle over the forest, a calm quiet spreading throughout the village; but his heart raced, excitement coursing through his veins. Because Lena was coming, and he hadn't been able to stop the giddy emotion bubbling in his chest all day as he gathered the pieces necessary for his plans. And now it was time to bring them all together.
Sol flew up into a rafter, peeking through a gap in the ceiling that revealed the stars beginning to wink into existence. A low chirp sounded as he settled to wait while Zavien moved quickly through the space. He opened the side door that walked out onto the wrap-around porch. Standing at the railing, nothing obstructed his view of the sky, making him feel small and insignificant in the vast expanse of the world. Yet he didn't linger on the thoughts, immediately deciding that it was the perfect place to set up. Laying his glittering sword to the side, he arranged a blanket and pillows for stargazing along with a platter of various foods and drink, including a loaf of bread and purple jelly that he'd bought from the best bakery in town. Only a single lantern glinted nearby, helping to make the starlight even brighter as he made another sweep of the area.
Once he was certain that every single piece was in place, Zavien let the nerves in, shuffling his feet as he inspected everything for the fifth time. A cloud of butterflies was caged in his stomach, making it feel like their first date all over again. In a way, he felt like it was, like he needed to prove something to Lena, that he was doing better, that he hadn't forgotten about her for even a second, that he was actively working to come home. Running a fidgety hand through his hair, he turned to the stairs, eagerly awaiting her arrival, listening intently for the sound of her footsteps.
let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
The Caretaker had kept herself busy all day long; ensuring animals were fed, watered, mended, bandaged, and overall content by the time she left in the later portions of the afternoon. Then she could spend less time worrying through skyport villas and ventures amidst the sky, and more on growth, on perseverance, on strength, and renewal. On the better blessings of their lives, on those like Zavien, who tried and endured and loved like an open book.
Eventually, she landed amidst the rest of the small crowd disembarking – but rather than linger upon the thresholds of the Sidhe and look for a place to spend the evening, she already knew where hers was going to be. She and Mittens came along a quicker pace, an excited and ebullient smile buoyant upon her features, until she twisted and turned along the pathways to the Observatory, and could see him lingering by the stairs.
Rather than announce her presence via shouting or snagging at attention, she simply beelined over – footsteps light and airy, before her hands reached out to grasp, interlocking with either arms or palms, whatever she could gain hold of – eyes attentive, searching and seeking – content to see some of the darkness faded from his gaze. “Hey,” she bolstered, ignoring the way Mittens grimaced or growled nearby.
When Lena appeared before him, Zavien's smile widened almost to the point of comical, green eyes practically glowing in the lowlight. A controlled disheveling of his appearance spoke of time spent in camps and inns, traveling the roads, his hair and scruff a little longer than usual, and his clothes a looked worn. Yet it wasn't the haggard appearance of someone struggling. The shadows of his eyes were barely noticeable, only a shade of darkness still lingering from lack of sleep, and his smile felt more comfortable, familiar after weeks of little use. Overall, he looked better.
Zavien stepped forward to meet Lena in a tight hug, one full of every missed moment they've been apart. His head dipped to cradle her closer, to breathe her in just to prove that she was really there, although the way his heart raced should have been proof enough. Letting out a low chuckle of joy, he lifted her to spin around, the stars a brilliant blur around them. He slowed to a stop, rocking from one foot to another with her in his arms as he let out a deep hum. "Mmm. I've missed you so much."
After another moment of just holding her, Zavien pulled back to look at her face with a beaming grin. "Come on, you have to look at the stars from up here. Then you can tell me how you've been while we eat." And he could answer any questions she had about his travels. For now, he intertwined his hand with hers, leading her up the stairs to the top of the Observatory, where he'd set everything up so carefully.
let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
Lena certainly hadn’t expected being lifted into the air, but took it on a rolling bout of laughter, something fresh, chipper, and light, a buoyant, airy quality in the ethereal spirit of things – and perhaps away from the somber, solemn, and darker thresholds of Stormbreak, they could both be themselves. Her hands grasped at the top of his shoulders while she was twirled around, looking for something to hold. She might’ve settled for other things too – but then they were swept into the Observatory, and she was taken from glancing back and forth at him, to the spectacle he’d arranged. “Missed you too,” she managed to whisper in between the stairway and the darkness – though her attention and focus immediately kindled upon the set up.
The display was beautiful – setting suns casting a picturesque scene across the horizon’s landscape, and though he couldn’t be credited with those illustrious, heavenly views, Zavien could certainly be praised for glittering swords, blankets, pillows, food, and the low light of lanterns. “Oh, this is perfect,” she emphasized, leaning upwards to kiss at his cheek, gasps puncturing the scene until she situated herself daintily on one of the blankets, already patting the surface of the threads for him to settle on his own spot; with a smile borne of more ebullient times, and not the shadows of circumstances at home and beyond. “Come tell me what you’ve been up to.”
Grinning stupidly at the kiss, Zavien felt the butterflies in his chest flutter pleasantly. "I'm glad you like it. I was worried the arrangement might have been a little much." Considering they hadn't seen each other in so long, it had seemed appropriate to put in some effort, although there was always the question of whether he'd put in too much effort. He didn't want to scare Lena again, but it was also so hard not to show her how much he cared.
At her invitation, he settled beside her on the blanket, already captivated by the view in both directions. Groaning through a playful smile, he shook his head. "Where to start..." Zavien struggled to gather a semblance of coherent thought so he could describe how much had happened in their weeks apart. Leaning back on an elbow, he tilted his head to the stars. "I've been doing a lot of training - as planned - and a little bit of traveling. I met with Tal in King's End first. I had some difficulties with my scar pulling while we fought, but he suggested using... bear fat? and... horse lin-lemon-lemonent?" Chuckling, he shrugged his shoulders as he looked to Lena. "I'm not really sure what that one is, but the bear fat has helped a lot with loosening up the scarring on my side. It doesn't pull as much now, which is good. I feel almost...normal again." He said the last part with a smile and a small blush, realizing how strange it must sound. But the distance from Stormbreak, training, and multiple discussions had helped him reach a new 'comfort level' with his recent experiences. There were still the matters of nightmares and insecurities that reared their ugly heads, but it was still better that he'd been before.
Turning his gaze back to the stars, he tried to find his timeline again. "Alys asked to meet in the Greatwood a few days ago, so I ended up here next. Our conversation was... painful." His voice was quieter, a small wince appearing on his face. How else was he supposed to describe the ripping of his heart and anxieties as he relived his death? Zavien swallowed the discomfort so he could explain why he would describe it as such. "She's working on a quest from Mort to get Sascha back and needed to know about my... death and all." His hand moved suggestively to detract from the word he still had difficulty saying, like it might lighten the experience to something less permanent.
Not wanting to dampen the mood with such depressing topics, he cleared his throat, smiling softly as his eyes met Lena's again. "But then she helped me with my quest and we got some delicious jelly. I actually brought some for today! You'll have to try it!" Twisting, he pointed to the platter of bread, cheese, jelly, and other random things the shopkeeper had recommended to him. It was probably way too much for the two of them, but Sol would be more than happy to eat the leftovers along with Mittens.
Zavien shrugged his shoulders as he added, "Otherwise, I recently trained with an old Dragoon, Liam." He nearly asked if she knew him until he realized just how much he'd been rambling. Laughing lightly, he ran a hand through his hair, a subtle blush across his cheeks. "Sorry. I think I'm talking too much. How have you been? How was your trip here? How is Stormbreak?" His eyes searched her, eager to assuage any fears or guilt about having left her alone in the infected city. At least he knew she wasn't infected, his ring pleasantly cold against his skin.
let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
She listened, curling her knees into her chest and fluttering her dress out so it didn’t take up a terrible amount of room; eyes keenly on him. Training wasn’t surprising, Zavien had spoken about wanting to do so anyway – though she did manage a small, but encouraging laugh, at the ‘lemonent’. “Liniment,” she offered instead. “You can put it on aching areas to relieve pain.” But givenhe’d already found a substitution, and the Caretaker was half-inclined to offer her staff as a way of mending again, she let the notions center away as he continued.
News about Alys made her gaze flicker towards the stars too – notions of Mort, of what it meant to pull others out of his realm, and then of needing to know about Zavien’s death made her feel a bit overprotective of him initially – couldn’t she have asked someone else? Not one so recent? Caido had its way of reincarnations across dozens and hordes, but then she bit her lip, knowing it was his choice to share the sentiments. She simply wouldn’t ask. Then there was the juxtaposition of Mort – for they were always told that once journeying to his sovereignty, they’d never want for anything – but she’d never yield those notions to Zavien either. Instead, she gave a slight smile and tilt to her head, watching a flicker across constellations. “I still hope it wasn’t too painful. For you both.” Alys had suffered a great loss as well. The whole situation was a confounding and difficult measure, and given her own parallels with demise, she didn’t want to unfurl much more.
She did eye the jelly though, along with the rest of the contents. “These look divine!” And if her stomach growled, then so be it. “And you’ve been quite busy, but I’m glad to see you looking so well,” and then her glance went back to him, perhaps wanting to hear it with his own words too, rather than just the depiction of his features.
As for her own sojourns, they’d really been back and forth. “It’s been quiet since LongNight. But I’ve been traveling back and forth to the Greatwood too – looking for things,” and she winked. “Seen Sohalia and Rhiannon a couple of times. They seem to be doing all right.” Nothing so drastic as his own parallels. “Koa mentioned taking a leave of absence too." Certain Zavien had seen him since, and not wanting to make anything about the hollowed feelings in the floating kingdom, she smiled in return.
"Liniment, riiiight." His grin was light and playful, knowing that he'll be adding it to the list of words he'd never 'remember' the term, along with lavender, just to see Lena smile like that.
The mood quickly shifted with the change in topic. Grimacing at the memory with Alys, Zavien looked down at his hands that he'd taken to kneading when he was stressed. "It hurt more than I'd like to admit... but I'd do anything to help her get Sascha back." Even if it meant reliving his worst moments in life. Because, if he lost Sol... Zavien couldn't even imagine, and he looked to the golden dragon lounging in the rafters just to reassure himself that he hadn't. His companion had been a rock in his maelstrom of panic and anxiety, a soothing presence against his mind that reminded him he was alive every time he woke from a nightmare. It made him wonder how he lived life before Sol.
But he did have his companion, and Lena's comment brought back that sunshine smile as it was his turn to reassure her. "I feel good too - better than I did." He may not be at a hundred percent - or ready to return home - but he didn't always notice the twinge at his side, or think of the embrace of death, or panic at every single shadow. Despite the need for more time, Zavien could see hope in the distance, a time when he might be close to who he was before.
Part of that was knowing that Lena was safe, so it was comforting to know that she wasn't spending as much time in Stormbreak as he'd thought. It certainly made him feel better, hearing she wasn't always at risk while he was away. There was also the added benefit of her support system that made him smile. "I'm glad to hear about Soh and Rhi." Especially considering Soh's own struggles during the battle. He hadn't seen much of her since, and he hoped she was faring better than him.
His eyes scanned the expanse of stars, searching for a way to explain how Koa was doing. She'd probably noticed the same things he had, but he still said, "As for Koa... he really seems to be struggling with his sister's affliction. I'm hoping once the Springs are repaired, I can help him take her there, but..." Swallowing, he smiled softly through the uncomfortable idea. "Halo isn't really at the top of my list of 'vacation spots' right now." He ran a hand through his hair, chuckling lightly as he looked to Lena. It wasn't that he wouldn't go back, but it would absolutely be a struggle.
let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
Sentiments aside, if Zavien still felt all right about the encounter, then Lena would have to simply accept it. Her eyes meandered to Mittens for half a moment, and then back to the Dragoon, unfurling another breath that didn’t preside in length or accordance. Her thoughts meandered to her sister’s dragon, still wandering amidst the Celestine every so often; and though she hadn’t dared to ask the creature about the bond separation, about how they felt after their own bonded had perished, she wondered if it was just as heartbreaking on the other end. Of being lost and uncertain – even when instincts might prevail.
Instead of voicing any of it though, she watched him carefully, nodding along at the insinuations that he felt better, that Sohalia and Rhiannon were doing well, and that by and large, the greater dramatics had flown from Stormbreak; or at least, nothing that the Caretaker had been involved or immersed within. Koa though gave her a slight frown, and she stared back at the setting sun, the kaleidoscope of hues blending across the horizon. “We have to give Halo time to recover too,” after the constant barrage and bombardments; she was certain the springs would eventually be repaired. But in the meantime… “Was he against going to one of the Big Gods?”
"Of course. They've been through a lot these last few months." Some of which he'd seen firsthand, yet others were silent notices of struggle that eventually reached his ears. A battle here, the destruction of the Springs there. It made him wonder if there was more that they couldn't even see, small minute difficulties that they weren't privy to because the region was so much farther than the others.
Koa's other option for healing his sister didn't seem like something he'd immediately dismiss. The man was far too determined not to exhaust every possibility. So Zavien shook his head slowly. "He didn't mention it, but I'd assume not." Just as he, himself, hadn't pushed aside the idea. Looking up at the starlit sky, his voice was soft and thoughtful. "I was actually thinking of praying to Vi, to see if he might give me one of his Roses." Chuckling lightly at the combination of absurdity and unlikelihood, he propped a hand behind his head, a sad smile on his face. "I don't even know what I'd do with it though..." So many places seemed to need the power of the flowers. How could he justify giving it to one place over another? Over Stormbreak? And would Koa forgive him for not using it for his sister? The conflict made him hesitant to reach out, not wanting the burden of choosing who gets cured or protected.
let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
She drew back into silence, quietly contemplating. Maybe they could all go together again and increase the odds. Or, if something were to occur successfully, they could assist in the tasks once more, just as they’d done in the past. Her eyes flicked back over to Zavien as he contemplated praying to Vi, a sort of bright smile maneuvering its way back to her features. “It’s worth a try. I don’t know if anyone’s been successful in our similar ventures.” At least, word hadn’t gotten back to her – but she’d become used to the silence stretching towards Stormbreak, and understandably so, given who reigned.
As for what to do with it, there was always an abundance of ideas, and she perked right back up, spine straightening as she began listing off probabilities and possibilities. “There’s always room for more in heading to…,” then she waved one hand in the general direction of Starfall, and the various teams thinking about infiltrating again. “For healing, or safekeeping. I’ve wondered if they intended to infest the Wilds again. And healing, of course.” It would be nice to have something of backup properties. “I’ve been thinking about going to Rae too.” To do much the same.
"Not that I've heard." Similar to Lena, he hadn't received any word of people finding a flower, but he also wasn't really in a place for people to feel the need to tell him. Yet it didn't seem to bother him when he saw the excitement on her face, making it hard to hide the smile that appeared in response. It was nice to talk about something positive after all their recent dark conversations, and Zavien felt that light blooming in his chest, the hope that he was slowly starting to cultivate again. His eyes reclaimed some of their previous sheen, plans falling into place like old times. "Then maybe I'll visit the shrine in the morning." Something in him thought there might even be a chance Vi could answer his call.
Shifting to prop himself on his elbow, Zavien grinned playfully. "But right now, I want to enjoy the stars with my girlfriend and eat some good food." He reached back towards the food, pulling the tray closer within reach, laden with all the delicious foods and treats. His hands immediately went to the bread and jelly, preparing a piece before offering it to Lena with a bright smile. "Here. Try this one first. It's my new favorite."
let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
She would’ve persisted in contemplating one avenue or another, but the change in subject matters brought her eyes and mind back to the present, and the wonderful display Zavien had unfurled for them. While Mittens made itself content by the windows, Lena shifted her gaze and form to turn towards the illustrious set, ignoring the way her stomach growled immediately. “That sounds perfect.”
Before she could even pick over anything, he’d offered her the bread and jelly, and her resplendent smile was conjured once more at the appetizing aromas and sights. Taking a piece, she carefully snagged a bite, and made a very loud gasp. “Gods, that’s amazing!” Careful to munch with care and delicacy, to ensure it’d make it last, she hummed lightly under her breath. “Where did you find this?” Because she had every intention of snagging more to bring home.
Chuckling at her enthusiastic reaction, he prepared a piece for himself. "Isn't it?! I got plenty, so eat as much as you want." He took his own bite, savoring the bright flavors of Flowerbirth that spread across his tongue. An expression of pure delight spread across his face before he swallowed, nodding his head towards the buildings below their vantage point. "There's a cute little bakery in the village. Someone at the inn recommended it to me when I first got here, and now I think all other jelly is ruined for me forever." Despite his playfully dramatic tone, he wasn't sure he'd ever find a jelly quite as good, and he planned to come back whenever his stache ran out.
He sat up a little more, a hopeful smile on his face. "I can take you tomorrow if you want." Depending on how long she planned to stay. Selfishly, he wanted her to say she planned to stay in the Greatwood for a long period, but he knew she'd have to get back to the Celestine before long. Still, he wanted to cherish every moment, finding ways to show her just how much he'd missed her all these weeks.
let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
Cute little bakeries were right up her alley, and she grinned as she polished off the initial piece. Her imagination wandered down particular treats and possibilities – wondering if there were regional portions she might be able to snag and try. Tying her hair back and out of her face, save for a few loose waves and curls, she opted for a smaller portion next, layering the jelly upon the bread, but not wanting to fill up, as there were other delicious things to go around.
The question only gave her the slightest pause, calculating timeframes in her mind. “I’d love that. But I should leave fairly early tomorrow.” Given her duties at the Celestine; the animals that would need tending – and she figured, if even she was gone for too long, things would begin to look suspicious. Giving a hopeful glance over her next bite, she prospered a slight smile. “Do they open first thing in the morning?”
