Click here for a list of weather descriptions, seasonal festivals, and a real time:site time conversion.
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!
A lightweight who is two drinks in naturally accepts the third as though he has never done anything different, and later when someone has to scrape him up off the floor (Flora), she will hopefully consider it part of her birthday present. "You are not the world's artist," he says, far too reasonably, "and so focusing on the big picture is not your job. It does sound as though something has changed for your friend, but... I do not know. Does she seem happy?" And is that a good enough reason to leave well enough alone?
Frog-blinking as he tries to make sense of husband, for a second evidently Niki believes that Sohalia is the one who has gotten secretly married, and he is frowning quite obviously at Flora's left hand as if to try and see what he's misunderstood. "It is because I hang around with the dead," he quips, smiling belately at her compliment and glancing back up to her. "Though I will say, they are not great conversationalists, so this is very refreshing."
stay your pretty eyes on course keep the memories of who i was before
She frowns at first, clearly caught on the phrasing, her brows knitting as if she’s about to argue the point outright—not the world’s artist?—but then the rest of it lands, and the shift is immediate, her expression easing into something far more pleased, a flicker of genuine delight lighting up her face as she tilts her head at him. "Okay, that’s an amazing way of putting it," she admits, sounding impressed in a way she doesn’t bother to hide, like she’s just decided on the spot to keep that line for herself, quite liking what a pretty way it was of saying she was allowed to focus on the details.
At his question, she nods, the movement slower this time, more grounded. "She does seem happy," she says with a soft exhale, the admission carrying weight even as it settles. "Which is amazing, considering what a tough few years she’s had. Romantically, but also just, like, in general." Another small sigh follows, quieter now. "That’s why I haven’t said anything, and honestly why I probably won’t."
She gives a short, self-aware laugh, shaking her head lightly as if brushing it all off before it can linger any longer. "Okay, enough about me," she says, brightening again as she turns her attention fully back to him. "What are you going to do in King’s End? Any big career changes?"
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
"Thank you," Niki says with the cheerful confidence of someone who has already forgotten what they've said, but if it's good enough that Flora has gleaned some wisdom from it, all the better. And to hear that Sohalia is happy is one silver lining in all of this at least, Niki nodding quietly but still frowning, as if unwilling to completely step out from fighting the Doubletake's corner.
"Well," he says quietly, "perhaps even if she does move away, you still keep checking on her. It is one thing to be happy when something is new and exciting, another entirely when you are in a strange new place and without your friends."
Not that it sounds as if Soh will thank her for it, or as though it will make Flora's life any easier. But then this is who she is, and caring for people has always been one of her biggest strengths. (And sometimes weaknesses, for identical reasons).
Blinking as she seamlessly steers the conversation onto him, Niki scoffs and buys a little time by taking a sip of his new drink. "I do not know," he confesses. "I was getting by in the Greatwood with metalwork, but I wonder if I might go back to what I was intended to be when I was apprenticed." That being a mortician. "But do you think that is too morbid, especially given..." he gestures down at himself, meaning the cold, strange magic he possesses.
stay your pretty eyes on course keep the memories of who i was before
Flora nods immediately, emphatic and certain in a way that leaves no room for doubt. "Of course I will," she says, like the idea of not checking in on Sohalia isn’t even a possibility worth entertaining. The certainty softens a second later into something lighter, her mouth curving as she tips her head. "Maybe I’ll just...fill the house with pets or something so it still feels full and I don’t notice when people leave," she adds, the crooked grin taking any real sting out of the words even if it doesn’t erase it entirely. She'd always notice, whether it was out of Wildering House or Torchline.
As Niki gestures to himself, her eyes follow the motion without thinking, tracing the lanky line of his body before her gaze turns to his face with a slow blink marking the moment it clicks. "Oh!" she says, bright with understanding, and then just as quickly she’s shaking her head. "Of course not," she insists, the answer immediate and firm. "If anything, it makes you, like, incredibly suited for it. Although...do you think people will ever ask you to bring their loved ones back? Even if it isn't for real, but just so they can like..hug them again?" It could either be a wildly uncomfortable situation that Niki had to say no to, or a lucrative add-on service he could charge for, depending on the route he wanted to go.
She shrugs lightly after, tone easing again. "Though if you want to keep doing your metalwork, you could always ask Sunjata to make a portal to the Grounds so you’ve got access to the Gilded Market whenever you want."
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
"Are you sure that is wise? Your spirits and your dragon may start to feel neglected," Niki points out with a grin and a nudge. Flora has already created a full house for herself, and with a lot of her family - and her secret-husband - staying there too, it isn't as though she is without company. "Perhaps you should focus on who is here right now instead of what will happen when they leave." Apparently three cocktails makes a therapist of the necromancer - who knew?
"What did you think I was referring to?" he blurts through a laugh - thoroughly ruining his philosophical air - as it takes Flora a few moments to realise he'd been talking about his magic. (It's not as though he can easily give her an example of it without the party taking on a very different tone). At the follow-up question, he gives it all the serious and tipsy consideration of a man unafraid of death, until he finally shakes his head. "I cannot reanimate people yet," he says. "And even if I could, I do not think hugging a corpse would bring anyone much comfort."
The portal to the Grounds is an interesting idea though, Niki raising his eyebrows before catching his own selfish train of thought. "I could not ask that," he says. "Not just for me, anyway. I imagine there are much more important things on Sunjata's to-do list, besides."
stay your pretty eyes on course keep the memories of who i was before
Flora nods with exaggerated seriousness, like she’s arrived at a perfectly reasonable solution. "Maybe I’ll just get Spice a pet, then," she says, as if that fixes everything, before letting out a small chuckle at his advice and tipping her head at him. "You’re very wise, you know?"
His laugh pulls one out of her too, bright and easy, her grin widening as she’s caught up in the rare sound of it. "You don’t want to know," she says with a quick wink, before her brows lift and she gives a small shrug. "People get weird with dead loved ones." The tone shifts just slightly there, not heavy, just knowing, before she adds, almost offhand, "You should see some of the requests my dad gets..passing along messages, bringing people back. There’d absolutely be a market for hugging someone one more time even if it isn't really them."
At Niki's refusal, Flora waves it off immediately with a soft, dismissive scoff. "Pffffffft, of course you can ask," she says, like it’s obvious. "Especially if you’re one of his citizens. Honestly, he'd probably be offended if he found out you wanted something and didn't say anything." Her eyes widen a fraction as she leans in just slightly. But fine, I’ll ask him, then."
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
"Wise and a good listener? I thought you said you were going to start insulting me more," Niki says with a sly smile. It's hardly a protest, but he does subconsciously tighten his hand against the handle of his cane, just in case all of this is a clever ruse and Flora is planning to exact some revenge for earlier. And when she says he doesn't want to know he's very inclined to believe her, finding the topic of death more comfortable than talking about himself. (To the surprise of absolutely no one).
"Of that I am already aware," he says quietly. "Not from a demigodly perspective, but even as an apprentice, people could be... particular." It's a very carefully selected word, suggesting that hugging their dead loved ones was absolutely the least of what Niki has seen and experienced. "If I am ever able to raise the dead that way though, I will consider it."
Flora's easy insistence on his requesting something as a citizen of King's End shouldn't really be a surprise - she's a leader as well, after all - but his cheeks still flush at the idea of it, and it's only partially to do with Sunjata. Still, at the implication that she'll ask him, he gives her a nudge since his hands are full. "You do not need to do that," he insists. And then, because he's three cocktails in, he blurts, "He said he found me attractive, you know."
stay your pretty eyes on course keep the memories of who i was before
Flora chuckles, shoulders lifting in a small, amused shrug. "Well, maybe I thought I could make you uncomfortable with a bunch of compliments?" she says, grinning up at him with open, adoring mischief.
When he nudges her, she answers it with a slow flutter of her lashes, tipping her head just enough to hold his gaze. [asy]"Well then are you going to do it?" she asks, the challenge light but pointed, her glass already halfway lifted until his comment nearly has it falling out of her hand.
Her jaw falls open in immediate, theatrical delight, aqua eyes lighting up like he’s just handed her the best possible gift, the reaction so bright it borders on scandalized. "What?" she demands, leaning in, voice sharp with interest. "Like...just out of the blue, or because you were playing truth or dare, or because you were out shopping, or—"
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
It's too late to take back what his loose lips have let slip, especially with Flora's sudden and theatrical delight, and so Niki doesn't even try to steer the conversation back onto safer ground. Instead, feeling his cheeks heat up right towards the tips of his ears, he takes a steadying sip of his drink (definitely a good idea) and shrugs his shoulders as if to try and dismiss or normalise it somehow. "Nothing like that," he says, perhaps a little too quickly.
"He was just talking about his work at the House of Midnight, and that no one had booked time with him in a while. I... I do not remember what I said, but it sounded like he was asking if I wanted..." Shrugging again, helplessly this time, and setting his glass down, Niki rakes his now free hand through his dark hair. "And that is when he said it. It does not matter anyway - I dismissed it. I do not need anybody's pity, especially not somebody whose job it is to..." She gets the picture, he hopes.
stay your pretty eyes on course keep the memories of who i was before
As he explains, the shape of it settles quickly for her, the confusion smoothing into something far more familiar, and she lets out a soft, knowing chuckle, her head tipping slightly. "Given all the people he sleeps with.." she starts, trailing off into a small shrug like that part hardly needs finishing, her grin flickering with amusement rather than judgment.
Flora's gaze sharpens just a touch as she looks back at him, something a little more certain threading through it. "But I doubt it was pity, babe," she says, brows lifting with emphasis. "Especially with his heart being dead—it’s not like he’d have a reason to lie to you." The grin returns, brighter now, and she nudges Niki lightly, playful. "He’d probably be more than happy to sleep with you," she adds, eyebrows bouncing once in quiet encouragement. "If you wanted to." It was his job after all, not just as the owner of the House of Midnight but as a demigod for Frey as well.
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
Humming his agreement to Flora's unfinished sentence, evidently it doesn't fill Niki with confidence - given all the people he sleeps with - and he lets his hand drop to seize his cocktail again like it might provide some extra moral support. "Yes, well he has not seen me properly, has he?" he mutters all too reasonably; however practically Niki might dress, high collars and long sleeves hide a great many of his sins, and it isn't as though he's an Adonis beneath his clothes even without the extensive scarring.
"And I have no doubt that he would, but that is... that sort of thing is not for me." Feeling suddenly as though he wants to be very sober but also the complete opposite, the necromancer is left staring down into his drink as though it might provide an answer he hasn't considered. "Apologies, Flora. I did not mean to come out with all of this. Do not let me bring the mood down."
stay your pretty eyes on course keep the memories of who i was before
If Flora'd known—if she’d had even the slightest inkling that there was anything softer, more complicated tucked beneath all of this—her answer might have come out differently, might have gentled instead of sharpened, might have landed somewhere more careful than bright and easy and a little too quick. But she doesn’t, and the drinks have taken the edges off her restraint just enough that she says what makes the most sense to her, shrugging lightly as she tips her head. "Well, given that sex stuff is literally his role, maybe Frey made it so he just finds everyone attractive? I mean, how else could he do all the things he needs to?"
At his quiet insistence that it isn’t for him, she only nods, easy and knowing. "Yeah," she says, "that’s probably for the best." For a good number of very complicated reasons, in fact.
But the apology pulls her back in a different direction entirely, and she nudges him lightly before slipping her arm around him again, shaking her head without hesitation. "Hey, no, you’re not bringing anything down," she says, dismissing it outright, her smile turning softer even as it keeps that familiar flicker of mischief. She leans just slightly closer, her voice dropping, quieter now but steady as she meets his eyes. "Your scars don’t make you unattractive," she says, the words simple and certain, her expression leaving no room for argument before it eases into something fond. "Nothing about you is unattractive."
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
Whether Flora intends to or not, her attempt at reassurance lands like a thorn pricking unexpectedly into the pad of a fingertip. Maybe he just finds everyone attractive, Niki. Even you. But although it's a bitter thing, it slots quickly and surprisingly easily into the necromancer's already steadfast logic about himself and the world, and he nods around the last of his drink. "Maybe," he agrees, and by the time her arm is moving around him and she's swerved from hard truths to pep talks, he's beyond needing it.
"You are a sweet liar, Flora, but there is no need," he says with a tipsy smile, gesturing about the party with his empty glass. "I am in a room full of demigods and poster children, but we cannot all be that way, and that is okay." They may be scarred, but they wear them with attractive ease. They may have flaws, but those flaws are prettily displayed. "Speaking of which, I ought not to be monopolising your whole night. Besides, it is about time I found somewhere to sit before my body decides without me."
stay your pretty eyes on course keep the memories of who i was before
Flora only laughs at that, soft and fond, rolling her eyes like she’s heard something ridiculous and not even worth arguing about, except she absolutely is going to argue it anyway. She slips away from him just enough to tug the ring she'd told him about earlier free, the gold catching the light as she reaches for his hand and slides it onto his pinky.
Her eyes lift to his, wide and emphatic, leaving no space for dismissal. "I think you’re attractive," she says, deliberate and clear, before tilting her chin toward his hand, the ring resting there as quiet proof. No heat. No lie.
Flora's smile eases back into something lighter as she glances toward a nearby couch tucked beneath a wide, sprawling monstera. "Come on," she says, slipping her arm around his waist once more. "That one turns into a bed if you decide you can’t be bothered to go find a room."
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
