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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!
It was a lovely Leafchange day in Torchline; sunny and temperate with a light breeze, neither too hot nor too cold, and with a few cloudwyrms puffing small, fluffy cloudlets above the Court of Stars in a game of twisting tag. Notices had been posted around Haulani and the Underwater City, requesting attendance at a meeting for Torchers on a matter of civic improvement.
Which was not, perhaps, the most exciting of taglines but it was accurate enough.
Hadama waited in the canal in front of the Court, his tail swaying in the water with just enough force to hold his position. He held his upper body out of the starlight surface so he could comfortably see those who were beginning to gather and the sun gleamed on his golden tattoos and the silver armband around one thick bicep, etched with constellations. Steely hair with a metallic sheen was held back from his brow by a simple silver band inset with an emerald the color of his eyes. As usual, he seemed content to embody the idea that shirts were not a requirement for royalty.
"Do you think many will come?" he murmured quietly to the nearby Queen, tilting a curious glance towards Flora while they waited for enough people to arrive to fulfill Safrin's commission.
I have seafoam in my veins, I understand the language of waves.
Having done their part to clean up the stArGAtE, Nova was eager to tag along with her siblings to this meeting about 'civic improvement.' Now that they lived in Torchline, it only seemed right to assist in keeping it clean and protected. However, she was never without her ulterior motives. Glancing between Calypso and Vesper beside her, Nova giggled, eyes glinting mischievously. "Do you think we'll meet anyone interesting at this meeting?" Having only really met the 'oh so serious' Jack, she didn't have much hope for more bubbly personalities like her and Caly. Either way, she was sure they could provide more than enough entertainment for themselves, if given the opportunity.
It helped that they were going to one of the places that had been dedicated to their mom. Her eyes scanned the building before them, admiring the sparkling architecture that sat in prefect view of the glittering ocean. If she wasn't wearing a cutesy white dress with stitched rainbows and striped leggings, she might have been tempted to take a swim before the social gathering. But Nova contained herself, gasping lightly and shuffling her feet as she looked to her siblings. "It's so pretty!"
Calypso hasn’t really done much to improve Torchline (but that’s okay, she’s sure her presence is enough). And it’s with that thought that the young woman trails behind her siblings in a warm and curve hugging sweater, gold with brown and orange accents, atop leggings lined with fleece to keep her equally just as warm. “We might.” Caly hums to Nova, flashing a dazzling smile before they settle on the building they approach.
Equally as in awe and far more comfortable with the combination of being home and the cooler warmth of Leafchange in the air, she sidles up beside Vesper, winding her arm around his own to beam up at her brother. “What do youuu think?” She chimes to her more powerful sibling, before her warm amber gaze lowers to scan those in arrival, and the two leaders already there to inform them all of the plan.
Democracy wasn't really Torchline's strong suit from what the young demigod had seen, though he supposed meetings like this were just the sort of thing that you did if only so you could later say that you did. Ruffling a hand through his hair before plucking a toothpick out of one pocket, Vesper followed his sisters like a pale ghost, not needing to eye the growing crowd in order to begin to pick out who was among them.
'You gonna behave yourself if we do?" Vesper wonders, arching an eyebrow down at Nova before his wry expression broke into a tight lipped smirk. Looping one arm around Calypso 's shoulders, he glanced around, tugging the toothpick from his lips and gesturing at some of the folks nearby. "Most of them ain't ever even seen this thing in action before." He informs his sisters. "They're just here for the free shit and to see if anything dramatic happens."
Which honestly was why the Marins were there as well.
VESPER
Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
"Honestly?" Glancing over her shoulder at her co-ruler, Flora wrinkles her nose and gives her head a little shake. Not quite willing to give up having the sun on her skin, the Doubletake wore a long flowy maxi dress with a woven shawl over her shoulders to ward off the sea breeze as it tried to coax a shiver from her. "No. But that isn't really such a bad thing. It just means they trust us, you know?" And honestly, Starfall aside, she and Hadama had been doing a pretty fab job of managing Torchline, if she did say so herself.
Shrugging her shoulders, Flora reaches for her cocktail, sipping at it through a garish pink straw that absolutely added to the fruity taste of it. Just as she was about to turn back to Hadama, her eyes fell upon three rather striking individuals who didn't immediately look like siblings, but certainly carried themselves as if they were.
Two girls and a boy. Triplets.
Having no expected to first see Jack's children this way, it was with cheeks suddenly splotched with pink that Flora did turn toward Hadama. "Whenever you're ready."
I trace the evidence, make it make some sense why the wound is still bleedin'
Jack is fashionably late, and they can thank a delayed shipment for that. But now it's snug aboard The Ark and ready to go to more nefarious exotic places, and the captain is free to attend this little get together. He doesn't honestly care about the Stargate either way, despite having helped to spruce it up a bit, but like most of those gathered, he's always happy to see if anything interesting will happen.
(Am I the drama?)
Leaning in the shade of a building against one wall and dressed in the usual linen and leather that suggests he's spent more time on the deck of his ship than off it today, the captain glances up at Hadama before tipping a wink towards Flora, as if to apologise for his tardiness.
you're the last of a dying breed; write our names in the wet concrete
I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me
More than criminal types are guilty of being late, alas, but Isla hopes that Torchline's rulers will forgive her; when duty calls at the infirmary, it isn't usually possible to swan out at a moment's notice. Luckily there's a good supply of fountain water on hand to speed things up, but she's still almost jogging as she hurries into the Court of the Stars, brushing the sand from her dress.
With wisps of fire flicking about her heels and fingertips to keep them toasty, the Remedy offers a bright smile between Hadama and Flora before taking a seat in a patch of sunshine nearby. It isn't the same as the beaming rays of Longheat, but neither is it enough yet for her to surrender to sweaters and shawls, not with the fire running through her veins.
He had not considered that a lack of interest might show an abundance of trust, but he tilted his head in acknowledgment of Flora's words as he turned them around in his mind. So long as they were willing to help with the tasks, that was what mattered in the end, he concluded, and gave his co-ruler a ghost of a smile and a true nod of agreement as more people trickled in.
A trio of young adults showed up who had a familiar cast to their features, and Hadama studied the children of Safrin with quiet curiosity before catching sight of their father Captain Barclay. He was preparing to speak when their medic arrived, late but very much welcome and he inclined his head to Isla warmly. Flora's voice pulled his attention back to the task at hand, and with a nod to his Queen the Tidebreaker raised his deep voice to carry over the Court.
"Queen Maeve asked Safrin for the Stargate before the War with the Voice." For some, the summary was unnecessary given that they had lived through it. For others, however, who had not yet moved to Torchline - or were not yet born - it served as context for their current quest. "A shield that could be activated to protect our defenders. The activation pedestal was set in Haulani, so it could be reached in case of invasion." He paused, nodding to Jack as one of those present at the Stargate's creation. "But it has not been used since the War. The threats have come from farther away. There is no time to reach Haulani, activate it, and return to the fight." He swept his gaze over those gathered, expression serene but a tinge of grim determination flavoring his thoughts. "We have asked Safrin to give us a way to carry the activation with us. To make it more useful. But we will need your help with the tasks she has given us. And to choose who will carry it, since there will be only one key."
He took a slow, deep breath and glanced at Flora with a raised brow before looking out over their citizens and finishing. "Do you have questions, or suggestions for who should hold the key?"
I have seafoam in my veins, I understand the language of waves.
Nova flashes her brother a mischievous grin that promises that she has absolutely no intentions of 'behaving' herself. Where would be the fun in that anyways? With a sarcastic lilt to her voice, she asks, "Would you expect anything less?" It's followed by an infectious giggle and a light skip. Completely unaware that she and her siblings were being noticed even more than usual (and not just for their looks), Nova makes her way to the edge of the crowd, standing on her tiptoes to get a look at the various new faces.
She glances toward Vesper and Calypso, curious about the Stargate. "Oh really? Who do you think has seen it in action?" All the gathered individuals seem fairly young, but there are a lot of things that could influence that. Spotting Jack amongst them, she gives him a very large and dramatic wave. "Do you think he has?" She's tempted to ask more questions or start mingling with the new faces, to start beforementioned drama, until the shirtless man in front starts talking. Her mind filters out most of the boring drabble, only really catching on her mother's name, much more interested in the surroundings and the other attendees. The question piques her interest though. Nova shuffles her feet and glances around, ready to volunteer to carry whatever this key is.
Nodding back at Hadama politely enough - they all know why they are here, and the captain can appreciate the way the mermanta dives right into it without wasting time. Placing a small sprig of peppermint bark between his teeth to chew on as he listens and considers, he does wonder whether the conversation is a little redundant, given how obvious the answer. Still, democracy and all that, he supposes.
"You both hold the keys to Torchline, metaphorically speakin'," he says, his voice carrying loud enough as he glances between Hadama and Flora. "Makes most sense for you to have the activation for this thing, right? Unless you don't plan on bein' around when trouble hits." A joke, and a dark one, but such is Jack Barclay.
you're the last of a dying breed; write our names in the wet concrete
I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me
Listening intently to the description of the Stargate and the current troubles they are having with it - or the lack of use, more accurately - Isla is one of the (majority of, as it happens) people who had not yet moved to the region at the time of the gate's creation. It certainly sounds like a powerful addition, far too much so to have fallen into such disuse. Glancing towards Jack as he speaks and nodding gentle agreement, she waits for him to fall silent before also speaking up.
"I know you do not have a council currently," she says, glancing between Tidebreaker and Doubletake, "but it would make sense for anyone who does join it in future to also have access to that key." Because should duty call, or gods forbid something should happen to one or either of them, there ought to be a failsafe, even if it isn't in place just yet.
Spying Jack in the crowd has fingers of tension subtly releasing in Flora's shoulders such that they relax down from near her ears, but despite the easy smile that the queen has painted on, the captain (and his son) will be able to feel the Doubletake's unease at seeing so many faces. She was an extrovert to be sure, but rarely had she and Hadama ever called for public opinion when making their decisions, and from having upset a few meetings herself, Flora knew how easy it was to derail something like this.
Glancing between Jack and Isla, the queen nods even as her lips twist into what they'll likely both realize as telltale signs of disagreement on Flora's part. "We'll only have one key to begin with." She explains, her aqua gave shifting between the captain and the Remedy. "Much as I'd like to say that we could keep it somewhere safe where both Hadama and I could access it...that sort of creates exactly the same problem we're trying to avoid." If they encountered something, they'd still have to run off and leave allies all alone in order to use the Stargate.
"The thought was that one of us should carry it around, but..." Glancing at Hadama, Flora shrugged softly before looking back to those assembled. "It isn't super clear which of us is better for it. We both have our strengths, and we're both around, so..." Hadama was a demigod and stronger against the void, but Flora had channelling on her side. With the Tidebreaker now possessing legs he wasn't water-bound, but the Doubletake just tended to be around more.
I trace the evidence, make it make some sense why the wound is still bleedin'
Hadama listened gravely to Jack's opinion and the joke that followed - black, to be sure, but fairly mild as the captain's sharp tongue went. He took it in stride as simply a part of how the Ark's captain dealt with the world, unruffled and turning his attention to the next speaker. Their medic was a sensible woman and made an excellent point, but unfortunately it held a key flaw.
One that he was grateful to Flora for addressing immediately, and he inclined his head in agreement with his co-ruler's explanation, then met her eyes as she looked over to him. "I would prefer Flora take it," he said, speaking slowly as he considered his words. "But this meeting was one of the tasks needed to create the key." He looked out over those gathered and then nodded towards the nearby Arclight. "I am often with the Mer. But the Underwater City has not faced the threats that Haulani has. Flora is the most likely to respond to new danger first." And if there were other reasons he wished his co-ruler to have greater protections, they were ones that would not benefit from being spoken aloud. "But I will abide by the decision of Torchline."
"Yeah I bet he has." Vesper whispers to Nova, raising his eyebrows towards their dear old dad with a knowing nod of his head. While he knew that Jack wasn't really the hero type when it came right down to it—a trait he quite admired, in fact—that didn't mean that when the going got tough Jack got gone.
Not really too interested in the politics of Torchline yet, the demigod merely folded his arms comfortably across his chest and cast out his magic to gauge how the folks around him were really feeling about this whole Stargate key debacle. Turns out, no one really fuckin' cared from what he could tell.
"I second that." He calls out, youthful voice strong and confident. Shooting a wry smile in Flora's direction that he knew would have her feeling some type of way, Vesper let his blue stare shift to Hadama. "Let's let the queen have it." If for no other reason than it'd probably benefit Jack, which in turn would probably benefit him in some way too.
VESPER
Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
