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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!
With no one wearing their real face It's a whiteout of emotion
"... not as much." Milky white fingers relinquished the glass, carefully maintaining the distance between them. A rift of her own making, alas; and much as she'd like to close it again, Maea was coming to terms with the f act that it wasn't her decision to make.
Gingerly setting down the loaded plates of food on the table, she remained standing. That Thalassa had even accepted the glass at all was more than she'd expected, leaving her with the awkward realisation that she hadn't planned beyond this point.
"That is... I was. Even though I shouldn't have been, of you least of all. Maybe I still am... You're everything I'm not, after all."
Twisting her mask aside, the wan face beneath had a somber expression to it. Not much different from last time they talked - or fought, more like - except for a calm in the depths of her eyes. That was new. That hadn't been there before in any iteration of their relation, despite Maea's best efforts to feign it. But now it softened the raw edges of her movements, thawed the lingering frost that was more habit than intention, and turned the nervous twist off a fluted glass between delicate fingertips into a thoughtful gesture before taking a sip.
"But... I do miss you. A lot more than I'm afraid of you. Not sure what to do with that."
And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
It wasn't a no, and Thal nearly scoffed, ready to leave Maea so she might maintain whatever ethical purity she thought she needed. But then the Ancient was speaking again, her words sounding more certain than before, like she'd found some kind of peace, like she might have changed.
Yet Thal was only reminded of their differences and how she was supposedly such an unpalatable character that no one wanted to be around her. It hurt, thinking of her own fiery anger and swaggering facade that kept people at a safe distance, then having to face her violent tendencies and deep-seeded insecurities that ultimately pushed them away. She might blessedly not be like Maea, but she didn't think it was necessarily a compliment to be called the contrary by her.
Her eyes fell to the glass that she hadn't been willing to sip, wondering if she might be better off ending the conversation before the accusations started. She wasn't sure her tender heart could handle the jabs and barbs, her emotions too volatile to give free rein. Clenching her jaw, she set the drink to the table, and froze, her body going rigid with Maea's words. They were exactly what she'd hoped Maea might feel - the longing and fear - but it caught her so off-guard that she had to sort through how she felt about it all.
She nearly echoed it back. She hadn't been lying to Liam when Thal said she might one day hope to repair the relationship, but it was hard to believe Maea would ever change - that Thal could trust her again - and with how she'd treated Asta... Thal wasn't sure she could be friendly with the same person that had caused her closest friend so much pain, or that she could barely her own heart after it'd been so recently wounded. She was confused more than anything, wishing desperately that the gaping darkness would give her guidance - and knowing it wouldn't.
Pursing her lips, she still kept her head lowered, her curtain of dark hair sacrificing a strand to fall across her face. Thal shrugged her shoulders, sliding her silver-ringed finger over the rim in attempt at disinterest. "That sounds like something you should figure out."
With no one wearing their real face It's a whiteout of emotion
"Yeah. I really should." The drink burned on her tongue, turning syrupy halfway down the throat and lingered, lingered, scalding the back of her tongue. Yet it wasn't an unpleasant burn; the aftertaste was that of cayenne and ginger, half a tonic and somewhat soothing. Kicked like a mule, too.
"Could you tell me again, what else I need to figure out?" Sinking down to sit sideways on a chair, she decided that the lack of dismissal equaled an invitation to sit. Leaning into the backrest, Maea picked a slice of cured meat from the plate, only to pick it apart; she was hungry, but there was a lump in her throat that made it hard to swallow. "I'm afraid I didn't listen well enough, last time you tried to tell me." Too wrapped up in her own struggles, not receptive to the needs of a friend who required more than she had been given. Perhaps there were things about herself that would never actually change - but Maea thought she might be able to put in some real effort, this time. Not merely sweep her flaws under the rug and shrug them off as inevitable.
"Can I ask, how you've been? How you're doing..?" Just like with Liam, there were no outward signs of the Void within her younger kin. No way of telling when it had slipped beneath her skin, or whether it altered her in any significant way. The sharp tongue was the same, her raven hair and piercing eyes as stunningly beautiful as always. Night taken physical form, ocean and black sand manifested in this woman who was so much younger than she appeared. Maea always forgot about that. Forgot that the chronically competent and independent pirate was little more than a girl, someone she ought to care for instead of relying upon.
And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
She didn't look up, finding the edge of her cloak more interesting than the conversation. "You mean to tell me you don't remember the one thing I told you?" Thal sighed, the weight of it feeling like enough to break the glass beneath her fingers. Her head shook with disappointment that pulled at her features. Maea prided herself on wanting to know people's thoughts, opinions, wishes but did she really listen? And did she really care? Did Thal care anymore?
Finally lifting her gaze, there was an exasperation there that didn't hide her annoyance or disbelief that Maea would remember this time either. "Honesty, Maea. I asked for honesty. It's not that hard." Her tone was as quietly resigned as it was chastising, a dissatisfied purse to her lips even if it wasn't nearly as sharp as usual.
And yet - ironically - she couldn't bring herself to tell the Ancient how she'd been, to admit how much she'd struggled and suffered, to expose how overwhelming and confusing everything had been for her recently. Where she'd once been willing to share most of her thoughts and emotions, she couldn't bare the judgement Maea would surely cast on her; so she shook her head again, the delicate silver chains wrapped through her hair and horns chiming softly. "No. You can't."
Pushing up from the ground before you is a blood-red rose.
You’ve encountered one of Vi’s Roses.. This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. You can post a link to this thread in the character updates thread if you pick the rose, to have it added to your inventory.
Vi's Roses (rare): A beautiful crimson flower with thorns of deep gold, it is rumoured that these roses are coloured with Vi's lifeblood. When planted, they have the ability to cleanse the area around them.
With no one wearing their real face It's a whiteout of emotion
Shaking her head, Maea's smile was lopsided and apologetic, about as disappointed in herself as Thal was. "I remember what you said, but I can't swear the actual meaning is what you meant to convey. When I think back, what I recall is a tangle of hurt feelings and defensiveness - being told I'm not good enough, basically. Even if you were right, when I try to pick out what you really needed from me, it's like picking a single strand of yarn from a wadded up tangle. All of it comes with." Popping a fragment of the cured meat into her mouth, the taste of salt on her tongue cut through the sweetness, reminding her all over again that she really was hungry. "But, I see. Honesty, huh. It shouldn't be too difficult." Of course, her honesty hadn't helped them much in the past. She could speak her truths and it still wouldn't fix anything if Thalassa found them offensive, or painful, if they kept driving wedges between them. And as the younger Ancient refused to share anything of her own life, Maea had to wonder if there was any will at all to even try and bridge this ravine carved between them.
"I see. Then, I won't bother you anymore tonight –"
A sense of movement drew her gaze to the ground. Impossibly, a rose was sprouting right before her eyes, perfectly red and gold-dusted. Barely an inch away from stretched out feet, unawares of the horrible impracticality of its timing in appearing here, now, in this company. Maea broke off, staring in numb disbelief for a moment; then she was launching out of her seat, diving for the Rose with arms outstretched. To pluck it, to protect it – whichever proved most necessary.
And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
It was baffling how quickly they seemed to slip back into old arguments, like nothing had changed. That sparking hope was thoroughly smothered, exhaustion taking it's place. Thal shook her head in response, slowly running her finger over the glass she still had yet to drink. "I'm not sure you've ever understood what I meant, Maea, because I've never once said you - as a person - were not good enough. Don't put words in my mouth to justify your own inability to accept yourself - to make yourself the victim in everything." Whether it was Maea's death that she'd had no control over or the way there was no remorse for Asta's wounds, Thal had long since realized that the Ancient would find any obscure line of reasoning that made her blameless, even if it hurt 'friends' in the process. She opened her mouth to say more, but what else was there to say that she hadn't already said?
The woman's calm, peaceful, and almost self-satisfied demeanor made it all the worse, like Maea thought she'd matured when it was obvious that no progress had been made. It was sad and frustrating and baffling enough that she was relieved when the conversation didn't continue.
Sensing the woman's departure, Thal gently pushed the untouched glass across the tabletop, no longer in the mood to drag out her presence at the stifling party. Her preparations were only interrupted by Maea's sudden silence, drawing her attention to the red petals sprouting from the ground.
She recoiled, her body thrown back in a single moment of unexplained fear. Thal had seen a Rose before - she'd helped Maea find one to 'redeem' herself - but there was such a dangerous and ominous energy surrounding this one that she couldn't be certain it was the same plant. The alcohol fled her system in a moment, leaving her every nerve on high alert, her heart pounding so fast that it drowned out the sound of the party. It seemed absurd to her when the pale Ancient was lunging for the flower like she was worried it might escape when Thal wanted nothing more than to escape its presence.
Through the clench of her teeth, she ground out a threat, low and commanding, "Move, Maea. We need to burn that." She took a step forward, tense and ready to strike in order to eliminate the threat that loomed.
With no one wearing their real face It's a whiteout of emotion
She hadn't exactly been smiling, but whatever contentment Maea had lingered in crumbled under the vitriol of Thal's response. There was a lot to unpack there, more than she wanted to touch on a night like this. Not when it left her feeling like she'd laid hand on something moldering and mildewed while fumbling in the dark, all oozing slime and repulsive stench that turned her stomach. She didn't want to... but her tongue curdled too much around the rising retort to leave it unsaid.
"No, you never say it. It's implied though. It's not me that's not good enough – only everything I say or do, the way I think, and the things I happen to feel. At least according to you. How about you stop drawing conclusions about my motives, and then we can try having an honest conversation."
She didn't reach for the glass. It was left on the table, a peace offering returned to sender and subsequently forgotten when the emerging rose stole Maea's attention. Diving for it paid off. Her fingers closed around the stem and broke it off with a clean snap, heedless of the vicious thorns as she tucked it close to the chest.
"No," came the reply, firmly rejecting any notion of a 'we' in this moment. Hiding the rose from view within the rags of her costume, as she backed away the mask fell down to cover Maea's face as well; a door closed, an opportunity wasted. "It's coming with me, and as I said, I'm leaving. Have a good night, Thalassa."
Making a move to do just that, Maea tried to leave the tables and the suddenly crackling tension, with a prickling sensation rising along the spine as she turned her back on Thalassa.
And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
Again, words put into her mouth, intentions and actions misinterpreted, her disinterest and lack of willingness to validate Maea's overcomplication of everything leaving Thal as the villain - the heartless monster who couldn't do anything right. It hurt more than it did before, the violet buffer not there to absorb the brunt of the assault on her character, the lash of the woman's tongue and the disgust in her eyes.
She hadn't wanted a fight tonight. She'd wanted a night of complete anonymity, a night where she might forget all the pain and emptiness inside. Yet everyone seemed intent on digging their fingers into her wounds, ripping them wider so all could see and it sucked.
As Maea finished and Thal pushed the glass forward, she let out low huff of air that most would mistaken for exasperation. "Or maybe, you could just leave me alone - like you said you would." She only looked up again when the rush began, all sense of pity rushing from her in a wave of adrenaline.
Baring her fangs, Thal watched as Maea clutched the Rose to her chest, not bothering to heed the warning. "You never listen to me."
There was little logic in the knowledge that the flower needed to be destroyed - not even distance would make her feel safe from whatever horrendous power it possessed. It was anger and fear and desperation that had her reaching forward, not an ounce of hesitation in her quick movements. She knew it wouldn't hurt Maea - which she found somewhat unfortunate - when the flames licked from her fingers and towards the flower hidden within the fabric, starving for the red petals that would crisp into ash.
Thal lunges and tries to burn the Rose with her fire (through Maea's costume).
Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Beware the darkness of dragons, Beware the stalker of dreams,
The attack was the last straw. Even as she dodged to the side and avoided the crackling flames, Maea began to shift with a snarl that twisted her mouth beneath the mask. Pale skin darkened with inky scales and she grew, stretched, pushed tables and benches aside and toppled a serving table laden with forks and knives and napkins and glasses so that cutlery and glass crashed to the ground. Uncaring how people began shouting and scattering away as her shape solidified, a low growl rumbled deep within her massive chest; a warning, the last one Thalassa would get.
Wide wings spread out from the black dragon's back, slowly as to warn anyone still in the vicinity to brace themselves. With the precious rose closed securely within a taloned paw, Maea shook off the awning that had tangled into her spines and braced to take flight. She felt bad for Liam, who must be waiting for her somewhere in the milling crowd and who'd be left behind at the party; but she could risk the flower with him no more than with Thal.
With a sound like thunder wind filled her wings; in a single powerful swoop she launched off the ground and attempted - for the second time - to do exactly what was asked of her.
Maea shifts into a Black dragon and attempts to leave with the rose.
Beware the talons of power and fire, Beware one who is not what she seems.
Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own
"Get. Out."
The moment Maea's form shifts to something hulking and needless and dramatic, spilling tables of food, scattering drinks and spreading alarm and chaos throughout the festivities - its festivities - Ludo's voice fills the proceedings, warped and deep and rumbling, like a nightmare thrown over the woods.
The lanterns all dim to little more than a hazy flicker. Silence falls - voices, music, even the wind grows still. And overhead, whilst at first it might seem as though the stars have gone out, a closer inspection will see instead that something colossal and raggedy is stretched across every treetop, from branch to branch, and where the moon had once hung in the air, now a pale mask with a jagged, gaping maw snarls down.
"Out," it repeats, voice rasping and grating. "Both of you. Now."
The rose, wherever it had been, has vanished. And Ludo waits expectantly for its orders to be obeyed.
No roll has taken place.
Ludo has taken offence to the fight breaking out and a large shift causing damage and upset at its masquerade.
It has also commandeered Vi's Rose.
Maea and Thalassa have been banished from the festivities and are expected to leave in their next post.
There were a lot of expected results to her attack - shouting, fire, other magics, chaos - but none of them included Maea shifting into a dragon. Thal might have wanted to destroy the flower, but she had never intended to make a scene; so when the wings sprouted and debris began clattering around them, she was already backing away, pulling her fire with her.
Like a retreating feline, she was half into the shadows, her fangs glinting a warning that Maea stay away before everything was darkening to a pitch black. She looked up to where the stars might have been to find a face. The looming mask wasn't one she'd seen before, but she didn't need anyone to tell her it was Ludo, the rags and commanding voice making it obvious they were the host of the 'festivities' - although there wasn't anything celebratory in the words.
Her eyes narrowed to flaming blue slits at being told she had to leave - and yet it was exactly what she'd been hoping to do anyways, the distraction providing the perfect excuse to escape. Thal tooka deep, seething breath, but didn't hesitate to take the opportunity, barely sparing a glance at Maea when she melted into the shadows and made her departure, no longer caring what happened to the flower in the process.
