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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!
09-01-2024, 04:11 PM (This post was last modified: 09-02-2024, 10:56 AM by Sah.)
Sah
Sah hadn't expected to expand his family today. Lilly had arrived from her morning outing carrying a basket of all things. Pad trailing behind her, looking far more baffled than a wolf physically should be capable of. Within the basket was a trio of small wolf pups barely old enough to have been weaned, and the Wild Thunder instantly sprang into action.
Lilly refused to explain where she'd found them or where the basket had come from. Sah was trying not to think about it too hard. It was easy to push aside with all that needed to be done. Grabbing his softest blanket, the Wild Thunder made a blanket nest in front of the fire before gently placing the puppies inside. They were exhausted and far too thin. Lilly curled up around them to keep them warm while Pad settled nearby to stand guard.
As the wolves settled, Sah stepped outside and flagged down one of the neighbors. He'd asked them to spread the word to get volunteers, and they'd hurried along without hesitation. Hopefully, they'd bring assistance soon. While he waited for help, the Abandoned immediately cleared out one of their spare rooms of randomly stored items and made a sketch of the new layout. There was so much to do to puppy-proof.
As people thankfully arrived, he directed them to start cleaning.
~
Welcome to an SE PQ to make the Lovi household ready for its newest (and unexpected) members!
1. Sah
2.Talyson
3. Thalassa
Have your character arrive and start cleaning. Sah will take what's left.
1. Sweep
2. Wipe down the windows.
3. Dust.
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
Surprising absolutely no one, it was Boreal who showed up first. Whether Lily had let her know on the way or whether she had heard via the Twilight Bark - being an honorary sled dog dragon herself - was a mystery, but the glacial companion landed outside the Lovi household in short order and shouldered her way inside. Pad received an affectionate swipe of a broad, rough tongue over his ear in passing, but Boreal had her sights set on Lily and the pups and she padded forward with the calm confidence of an experienced matriarch to join her friend on the hearth, extending a wing over the white wolf and the pups to help keep the warmth in. A low, almost subvocal crooning rumbled from her chest to soothe and reassure the newest additions while she ignored the bustling humans nearby.
Tal showed up a short while later, dark hair still dripping from the bath he'd been dragged out of by an insistent companion who had then abandoned him to fly on ahead. The courier station was a comfortable place to spend the night between deliveries, and though he wasn't lingering in Halo since Evie's ultimatum he couldn't pass through without visiting his sisters and Sah.
He just ended up visiting a lot sooner than he'd expected today.
"Hey, Boreal's got pups on the brain," he called as he made his way past the other volunteers. "Are they Lily's?" He'd never heard of a companion having babies before, but there was always a first time for everything. "She's raised a few litters from the sled dogs," he added in assurance to his best frenemy as he grabbed the broom and started sweeping. "It was a while ago, but she's got th'instincts for it. We can stick around an extra couple o' days an' she can help Lily get settled if y'want." And maybe if Sah didn't want. Pulling the dragon away when she had her heart set on mothering was much easier said than done!
Boreal shows up to help Lily with the pups and Tal starts sweeping!
Thal had decided to take one more stop on her search for Maea. Although the immediate ache of her disappearance was easing, Thal hadn't been ready to give up completely on the woman. She didn't know where she'd vanished to, all the usual places coming up empty, so she'd made the decision to search the most unusual of places. After all, what Ancient in their right mind sought out the vacant icy wastelands that were Halo? Exactly. None. Which made it the perfect place for Maea to hide. Except that Thal hadn't found any evidence of her presence. And just when she'd been ready to head home with her hopes dashed, she'd been voluntold that she would be helping with some random task.
It was even more surprising as she was dragged inside the indicated building to find Talyson and a man that seemed oddly familiar, although she couldn't place why, already tidying up. Her first instinct was to disappear back into the street, sure that the occupants wouldn't notice her absence. Yet the site of wriggling puppies warming by the fire softened her heart. Who could turn away from such soft, innocent faces?
With her resolve weakened, Thal slipped into the back, choosing to wash the windows in the silence of the shadows of her hood, trying to ignore the cold that pressed against the glass.
Boreal burst through the doors and Sah snorted out a laugh as the dragon instantly curled up with her best friend. Lilly nuzzled the dragon, and her tail wagged steadily. Pad grumbled to himself and attempted to fix the fur that was now sticking straight up from Boreal's affection.
Tal wasn't far behind, and although he'd never say it, the Abandoned had been hoping that the man was in the area and could help. His experience with sled dog puppies (experience Boreal had, too, it seemed) was a major asset. Sah had raised wolves, but he'd usually had more time to prepare.
His question made the Wild Thunder cringe, "I don't think so?" The offer of aid was met with a grateful nod, "I'd appreciate the help."
A vaguely familiar Ancient also made her way in and silently got to work. Sah decided not to question her and simply gave her a smile. With a flick of his wrist, he gave the fire a bit more oomph to warm the house further, just in case.
@Tal quickly had the floor swept clean and the dust and debris disposed of in the trash. Thalassa had the windows sparkling and free of grime in case one of the pups decided to have a taste when they were feeling better. Meanwhile, Sah turned to dusting. With a damp towel and some air magic, he carefully cleaned up the space.
Taking a breath, Sah grinned as he took in the space. "Perfect. Now let's get some of the basics built." A neighbor had dropped off supplies while they had cleaned, and they were now ready to build a den box for the pups to sleep in and a puppy gate to keep them contained.
~
Round 2! No post order. Sah will take what's left.
1. Two to build the den box.
2. One to build the gate.
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones.
You've encountered the OG random event! This allows you to skip one levelling requirement with the character in this thread. (Unfortunately does not count for characters over level 10, how sad.)
"Huh. Well, guess they're hers now!" Tal shrugged off Sah's uncertainty as to the pups' origins with the casual acceptance of a man whose dragon had adopted puppies before without telling him where they'd come from, and who was inured to the mystery by now. He started sweeping, but paused when a familiar cloak drifted in the door. He squinted and paused to rub his eyes incredulously at the sight of an Ancient in Halo. And a sea captain, at that! "Thal? What're you doin' here? Are you okay?" Given how their last encounter had gone he wasn't sure what to think, but Thalassa definitely wasn't back to her usual cocky self.
When they finished cleaning the room up and Sah got the supplies out for the next project, Tal went straight for the hammer and nails. "I've got the den box," he said confidently. "Here, can one o' you hold these boards steady while I start hammerin'?"
Woodworker Tal takes the den box and asks for help holding the boards steady!
Obviously, her presence hadn't gone as unnoticed as she would have liked, hearing Tal call out to her caused a light flinch of her eye before she turned to him. "Hey Talyson. I'm fine. Just... looking for Maea." Her voice was flat, devoid of anything but exhaustion, yet she didn't see any use in lying. He'd already seen her at her worst, drowning in a dark pool of her own desperation, and stumbling deep in her drinks down a dirty alleyway. Plus, her parting remark had already implied that Maea was missing. Maybe it would help to have another person's eyes to find her. Maybe she'd bring it up afterwards, but right now she just wanted to finish the tasks and escape.
Turning to the gate supplies, she began assembling them to the best of her abilities, which weren't much. She had a little bit of carpentry experience repairing The Marauder, but that didn't translate well to gates. However, she did her best to put the pieces in the right places, nailing them secure as she watched the other man from the side of her eyes. Where did she recognize that voice and face from?
Sah glanced over at 'Thal' with some concern. The fact that Maea was missing was new information and certainly explained why her responses to his letters had abruptly stopped. He'd need to ask more about that later but for now they had a job to do.
Thalassa successfully built the gate and placed it by the door of the room for easy maneuvering. With how rambunctious puppies could be, it would only hold them for so long, but Sah hoped it would do until they were fully recovered and were a few weeks older.
At Talyson's request, Sah came over and held the boards steady so that the courier could complete the den box. He smoothed the sharp corners at the end to prevent any tumbling pups from hurting themselves and they were good to go. A little bit of air magic and the few traces of sawdust from the construction were taken care of as well.
"Perfect. I need one person to run next door and pick up medicine for the pups. The other can stay with me and help me collect some of the supplies that I have here." Things were coming along nicely and soon it'd be time to settle the pups into their new home.
~
Round 3! No post order.
1. One person to go next door to collect medicine.
2. One person to help Sah collect necessary items from the house (blankets, dried meat, clean towels, bowls, etc.)
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
The gate ended up looking a lot better than she expected, and Thal found herself enjoying the numb mindless work. It served to be a better distraction than she would have originally thought. Yet, when the construction was finished, the darkness immediately rushed back in.
Standing, she made her way to the others, considering the two tasks the man set before them. As an Ancient, Thal wasn't overly eager about stepping back onto the cold street. Plus, the man intrigued her. It might be beneficial to work with him. Maybe she could find out why he seemed so familiar.
She gathered a bundle of blankets, bringing them to the fireplace before moving on to the next item. With each retrieval, she stole a glance at him, the memories slowly losing their fuzziness. Memories of Maea. Of experiments and killing Void hels. What was his name again? As she brought a pile of feeding bowls forward, it came back to her. "Sah, right? I haven't seen you in a few months. Still fighting Void creatures?" Honestly, the number of words surprised even her, but they were already out and there was nothing she could do about them. Glancing away, she continued to work, avoiding his gaze as she waited for him to answer. Maybe it would be a better distraction than the gate.
Thal still didn't sound fine, but Tal chewed his lip and let the lie slide under the circumstances. His brow did furrow in worry at the mention of Maea, however, and he shot the Ancient a concerned look. "You either, huh? ...I'll start askin' around on my route." He wasn't sure what else he could do, but hopefully the pale woman would pop up sooner or later. He hadn't heard that Sohalia was back just so he could lose Maea next!
Much as he was reluctant to admit it, he and Sah were getting pretty good at building things together, which normally wouldn't have stopped Tal from teasing Sah about the quality of the work... but for puppies he was all soft edges and professional efficiency, wanting to get their new home ready as quickly as possible. So the hunter was spared his sass and was even treated to a quiet humming as the courier worked that blended in an unexpected harmony with Boreal's rumbled crooning from the other room.
The box came together with smooth, clean edges and Tal helped sand down the outside corners for when the pups started playing outside their new den. As they sat back to admire their work they were only given a moment to rest before the next tasks were assigned, and Tal nodded without complaint for once. "I've got the medicines," he assured them, standing and brushing the sawdust off his pants and into Sah's little air whirl to carry away. He was familiar with what was needed for treating various canine ailments after running a sled dog team for so many years before airships came along, and he headed next door to pick up the waiting package. He paused to scritch Lily's ears and check on the new additions on the way, taking a look at their little ears and eyes and teeth with gentle fingers to assess their condition so that when he got to the apothecary he would know exactly what was needed to help.
Tal goes to get the medicines!
Sah briefly scanned the Ancient before recognition lit up in his eyes, "Thalassa. Right! It's good to see you again." As he grabbed a stack of blankets to hand to her, he added, "I really appreciate you helping out. My companion Lilly just showed up with the pups this morning and it's been a scramble to make the necessary preparations without warning." He didn't mention Maea even though he desperately wanted to ask what was going on. Hopefully, Talyson could clue him in later.
The duo successfully retrieved the necessary supplies just as Talyson ran his errand. Lilly licked the courier's hand as he checked over the pups. One of which sniffed the man's hand before curling back up with his siblings. When he got to the apothecary, the courier's expertise came in handy and Tal had no trouble retrieving just what the pups needed.
With everything gathered, they were on to the final step. "Let's get everything organized, and then we can move the pups in. We can place the medicine and food onto the shelves on the wall and set up the den and food area." And then they could spend some time cooing over the pups.
~
Last round! Sah will take what's left. No post order.
1. One person to arrange the blankets in the den box.
2. One person to place and organize the medicine and dried meat onto their appropriate shelves.
3. One person to set up the feeding area.
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
With their acquaintance-ship reestablished, Thal gave him a nod before tilting her head. "Does that happen often?" She looked at the squirming puppies, trying to decide if the parasitic creatures were 'cute or not. They didn't have any fangs or claws to entice her yet.
Once they'd finished gathering the necessary supplies and Talyson had returned, she let herself fall back against the wall, waiting for further instructions. As Sah listed the next steps, Thal gravitated towards the looming darkness of the shelves. The labels and organizing were somewhat cathartic to her exhausted mind. She let the work guide her in a peaceful rhythm of satisfying movements.
The medicines were obtained without a hitch, thankfully, and Tal handed them over to Thalassa to organize with the food. He looked between the den box and the rest of the room with his nose wrinkled in deep thought - though perhaps because of the puppies his usual scowl was nowhere in sight. "...I'll take th'blankets," he decided. "You'll be th'one cleanin' up any food messes, so I'll let y'figure out th'best way t'keep that under control from th'start," he added wryly in a rare explanation of his thought processes. He gave Sah a lopsided grin and claimed the blankets for himself.
He folded one several times to make a nice thick, soft pad that fit snugly in the bottom of the new den box before draping a second one over the top of it. The second blanket was spread out so that it fell over the top edges of the box; it would be easy to lift out for cleaning and would be soft on any curious paws when the pups started standing up to see over the sides. The last blanket was loosely rolled and ruffled up before he tucked it around the back and sides of the box so Lily would have something soft to rest against when she was in it with the pups. Pups who would seen be bigger than her, once they were healthy and growing fast!
Tal fusses with the blankets in the den box!
Sah shook his head, "No. This is a first." And as much as he loved puppies, hopefully, the last. Otherwise, he'd need a bigger house. Three adults and now six wolves were already a tight squeeze. Thalassa efficiently organized the supplies and with his love of puppies Talyson made the empty den box into something warm and cozy.
Chuckling at the explanation, Sah nodded and went to set up the food station. He placed down a washable mat in the corner of the room where it'd be out of the way. Taking dishes, he placed empty ones for eventual food and filled the others with fresh water. He'd have to start the pups off on a gentle diet while they recovered. Rice and boiled ningo would be best. The Abandoned thanked his lucky stars that they were past the weaning age. Finding a surrogate mother amongst the numerous sled dogs in Halo wouldn't have been difficult. However, given how protective Lilly already was, it likely wouldn't have been a successful attempt.
Finally, they were done and they reconvened by the fire. Sah reached down and ran a gentle finger over one of the pups, his eyes softening before he turned back to Talyson and Thalassa, "Thank you both so much. Tal, I'll definitely take you up on that offer. You're welcome to stay, too, Thalassa. If not, feel free to stop by and play with them sometime. I'm sure that they'll love the attention."
With that, the Wild Thunder focused on his newest family members, and he kneeled beside Lilly to watch over the young pups. They'd need names soon.
~
All done! Thank you both so much!
-[FIN]
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
