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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!
You thrill me, you delight me You're all that I've been yearning for
Evie refocuses as he reaches for the cinnamon, keeping her oversight subtle. Kiada would likely have just as much fun ragging on him for a terrible blend as she would enjoying a high quality one, but the latter is preferable. “You don’t want to pre-sweeten it, that’s why everyone has different counts for spoonfuls of sugar or honey when they order it. If you want a natural sweet flavor though, orange rind shreds or vanilla bean goes well with cinnamon.” Pointing out those smaller jars out of habit from so many years running an apothecary and trusting nobody to actually read labels, Evie returns to her own blend for Danta and adds a small amount of clove and cardamom.
Clearly disgruntled and uneasy at the mention of Vox, Evie bites her lip and remains silent for a long moment. “Until they move to stop us all we can do is keep preparing.” It’s a paltry sentiment but what else do they have? For all Vox sits in their heads, the Family doesn’t seem keen on changing their recruitment tactics to better tempt the locals. Evie doesn’t like the implications of why they aren’t. Does a leopard change its spots and assimilate into a herd to attract its prey, or is it born with a biological advantage that allows it to strike at its leisure with no concessions? The Voice had lured, enticed, and promised until her dying spark. The nonchalance of the Family, in comparison, makes every Rae-aligned nerve in Evie’s body go haywire. Or maybe that’s just the prey instinct. Gods, how outclassed are they?
Pressing another idle kiss to Erebos’ head like reaching for a touchstone, Evie refocuses on her tea blend and does not give voice to her thoughts. After a lifetime in the barrier one learns to focus on what they can do, no matter how little. Today, it is tea. Tomorrow will reveal itself in due time. “Gravity might be a good weapon against dragons too. Maybe it can ground them?” Their skies are never empty, but Halo has been blessedly free of attack in recent years. Still, it won’t last forever.
I love you, I adore you - I lay my life before you I only want you more and more
Snorting and wrinkling his nose at the notions, he paused and considered. It made sense, he supposed, but he’d simply never thought about it; his jurisdictions in life had never been within the boundaries of plants, herbals, or anything in similar regards. The Sword was much more prone to his namesake, surrounded by armaments and weaponry, defenses and subterfuge. But he also didn’t mind such ignorance – it meant more learning to be had, and his scholarly, curious mind delved further, furrowing his brows in inspection and examination as Evie passed over the jars, and then selecting orange rinds for Kiada, and vanilla for himself.
Placing those in, he sighed at the other sentiments. “Exactly. At least with this we know what will be effective.” Even if the Family would be aware of their cognizance and perception. “I wonder if there would be a means to keep them out of our heads though,” much like other regions had been striving to block the void creatures from coming into their lands. “I wish we knew how they intended to entice others to join them.” Or if it was going to be forced – a brutal aspect that had his jaw clenching.
The idea of grounding dragons had him pausing, but only momentarily so, wondering if that was easier or more of a threat. “Perhaps. It would put them in better range for us, but then we would still be in danger.” Much more accessible; but maybe it had always been that way for something as powerful and potent. “We can bring it up to everyone and see what they would prefer.”
You thrill me, you delight me You're all that I've been yearning for
Deimos - ever the utilitarian - usually drinks water, alcohol, or sometimes coffee, so it’s genuinely riveting to watch him make his selections and weigh the options against the measurements. Evie drinks tea so often she’s certain it’s part of her blood now but aside from general idle commentary on a new blend she had purchased their drink interests don’t overlap. “I recommend sniffing the rest of the jars for anything more you want to add. The nose knows,” she jokes, tapping the side of her nose and winking. She has to add that one to the list of mom jokes to torture Erebos with.
“Maybe, though probably on an individual basis. We can ask Frey if it could be widespread though, like how we gathered secretly in the Grounds.” It would paint a target on their backs, but perhaps they could apply it to a land in Halo far from the Citadel? This bounce of ideas is familiar between them (even though she normally tries to keep Warden talk away from the dining table) and despite the gravity of it all it’s a familiar enough cadence that thoughts of Maea and her own sore heart become buried beneath the lull.
I love you, I adore you - I lay my life before you I only want you more and more
He grunted incoherently at the horrific joke; but took her advice just the same, lightly lifting jars to his nose, sniffing the contents, and then placing them back when he found them wanting or not what he required. After some thought, he persisted in adding a little more orange into Kiada’s, and then seemed content with his own. “What next?,” eyeing the cups with an arched brow, before his eyes glanced right back into hers.
And while perhaps they shouldn’t have been constantly discussing Warden matters here, it was safer than encroaching and bombarding themselves in offices – and far more comfortable. He’d much prefer talking shop while unfurling in other purposes, tea making or otherwise. “True.” A rumble followed, head tilting vaguely, hands itching to grab a piece of paper and jot these things down. Within a moment he had one withdrawn from his bag, charcoal sliding across the parchment so the number of notions weren’t forgotten or misplaced; and maybe making an ingredients list of the semblances used for the tea on the side. “For now, avoiding large gatherings seems to be one of the better options.” Or at least not summoning every leader or powerful being into one collective meeting, and drawing attention to themselves.
You thrill me, you delight me You're all that I've been yearning for
Evie smiles and shrugs as much as she can with a drowsy baby in a sling across her chest to be mindful of. “That’s it! It can be as simple as you want it to be, even the tea leaves alone are popular. Though often with cream.” It’s unnecessary information given he likely won’t be hand blending tea again but Evie slips so automatically into the role of a teacher that it bleeds over without her notice.
Her own blend for Danta is far more complex but her hands could measure and adjust levels in her sleep so it doesn’t take long to finish. Chili pepper, ginger, and black pepper are the final touches before she seals the bag firmly to preserve its freshness and tucks it into a small silk bag for presentation. She slides another across the table while Deimos makes notes for Kiada’s finished product and finally leans back to wrap her arms around Erebos comfortably.
The tea is a gesture of appreciation, but she is equally grateful for these private moments, regardless of their imperfect dispositions given the weight of all they’ve discussed. “How about a walk? I want to get out of the house.” It’s a sudden offer but suddenly she wants to leave the rot and hurt behind at the table and feel the fresh air on her face. Maybe they can even mail the tea at the same time - not that she needs justification for a family stroll after they were so suddenly reminded of their shared mortality.
I love you, I adore you - I lay my life before you I only want you more and more
Expecting something more intricate, refined, and detailed, his eyes widened for a moment, before nodding in assurance. “All right.” He still watched as she went over the finer points for her own, and then followed in her stead; snagging at the small silk bag and tucking the tea portions for Kiada into the container. He'd experiment with his later - or show Safrin what he'd concocted. “Thank you,” for teaching him the proper balances and for not falling into pieces at the latest news. It wasn’t a wonder how they’d made it thus far – not with the amount of stability and fortitude the Evergreen supplied.
The walk idea caused him to glance outside, towards windows and frameworks of snow, indulging in another smile. “Sure.” It would be an opportunity for all of them to snag at fresh air without anything pending or binding over their shoulders, not for the moment, and he called for Belial and Zuriel across bonded scales as well, so they too could join on their way along Halo’s paths and roads.
