NIKI
"My thoughts exactly," Niki concludes with a small smile. Good mornings are generally well received - poxes upon houses less so. He's unsurprised that Kaisel knows so much about the lore behind black cats (what with his extensive ghostbusting knowledge and all) and he raises his eyebrows with an amused slant to his expression. "If he is fighting demons in the middle of the night, I imagine that is yet another reason to leave the Greatwood as soon as possible," he says through a laugh. "Or do you suppose the demons are attached to me rather than my location? That could be troublesome."
Sitting up as the server arrives with their drinks and Kai's snack, Niki tilts his head towards the other man and pours himself a cup of coffee from the pot. "Torchline is certainly a choice for someone who dislikes sand," he agrees, though it isn't too difficult to imagine the soldier putting up with it for Flora. "And perhaps I will need to make sure I visit during other seasons to make sure I know what I am getting into." Or he might just take the plunge, because however bad King's End might be, it can't be as bad as the Greatwood with its mud and roots and rain at times.
Speaking of Flora, though, and Niki glances up from his coffee to watch as Kai rummages in his backpack to withdraw what the necromancer is certain, at first, looks like a crystal ball. "Unfortunately I do not offer psychic readings," he says with a wry smile, before falling silent to listen. And his eyebrows raise as he examines the glass orb, honest surprise and a hint of affection making its way onto his face.
"That is very thoughtful," he says softly. "I am sure she will love it. And thank you, for considering me." Reaching out to take the item carefully in his hands, he lifts it and pauses for a moment, before the memory surfaces and it plays out in the glass; he and Flora bent over fabric and feathers and bone, the conversation easy and full of laughter as they craft their masquerade costumes.
Once the scene has reached its conclusion, he nods and offers the orb back out towards Kai. "It may not seem too important," he says almost sheepishly, "but in truth Flora was my first real friend in a long time. I had not laughed like that with anyone for a while."
Niki shares a memory from [SE] * where he and Flora made their masquerade outfits.
Sitting up as the server arrives with their drinks and Kai's snack, Niki tilts his head towards the other man and pours himself a cup of coffee from the pot. "Torchline is certainly a choice for someone who dislikes sand," he agrees, though it isn't too difficult to imagine the soldier putting up with it for Flora. "And perhaps I will need to make sure I visit during other seasons to make sure I know what I am getting into." Or he might just take the plunge, because however bad King's End might be, it can't be as bad as the Greatwood with its mud and roots and rain at times.
Speaking of Flora, though, and Niki glances up from his coffee to watch as Kai rummages in his backpack to withdraw what the necromancer is certain, at first, looks like a crystal ball. "Unfortunately I do not offer psychic readings," he says with a wry smile, before falling silent to listen. And his eyebrows raise as he examines the glass orb, honest surprise and a hint of affection making its way onto his face.
"That is very thoughtful," he says softly. "I am sure she will love it. And thank you, for considering me." Reaching out to take the item carefully in his hands, he lifts it and pauses for a moment, before the memory surfaces and it plays out in the glass; he and Flora bent over fabric and feathers and bone, the conversation easy and full of laughter as they craft their masquerade costumes.
Once the scene has reached its conclusion, he nods and offers the orb back out towards Kai. "It may not seem too important," he says almost sheepishly, "but in truth Flora was my first real friend in a long time. I had not laughed like that with anyone for a while."
Niki shares a memory from [SE] * where he and Flora made their masquerade outfits.
stay your pretty eyes on course
i guess i never really faced my fears before
i guess i never really faced my fears before
