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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!
At least Flora couldn't say he'd missed the deadline on this one! He was still surprised that he'd gotten the goods on the first attempt. It had definitely gone better than the last time, Tal had decided with relief. He wasn't particularly good at puzzles and maybe Flora should have asked someone else, but thanks to Sohalia and the others he'd managed to snag the prize at the end of the locked doors.
Twisting the shiny rock around in his fingers, he'd tried to figure out what all the fuss was about on the flight back to Torchline, but in the end he'd just shrugged and tucked it back into the felt-lined silk bag it hung from beneath his Vest. Whatever - or whoever - the Queen wanted it for wasn't technically his business, but he still walked into the Hanged Man with pale eyes that were sharp with curiosity.
"Delivery for Queen Flora Kaito-Taliesin," he called out, unable to keep the smug cheerfulness from his voice.
Yeah, he'd definitely done good. This time he'd get paid properly!
Raising a brow at Tal, the cheerful tone with which he called out her name drawing a few amused glances, one of the tavern's staff flicked a hand in his direction to gesture that he sit, before disappearing into the back. Whether they were actually going to fetch Flora or just taking a convenient lunch break was anyone's guess.
After a moment, the queen herself appeared, her presence filling the room with the same bubbly brightness as Tal's voice had a moment before. Flora's grin was wide and infectious, her curls bouncing with each step as she moved towards him, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the courier. The word 'delivery' always seemed to put a certain sparkle in her eyes.
"Hey you," she purred, her gaze locking onto Tal's, her eyebrows bouncing playfully as she slipped behind the bar. Flora's lips curved into a smile that was equal parts warmth and mischief, the kind that promised trouble, but the good kind. Probably. "Drink?" she asked, gesturing at the array of bottles glinting in the dim tavern light. She tilted her head, her aqua eyes narrowing slightly in a teasing challenge, focusing on Tal as if he was the only man in the room.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
Tal pulled up a chair and plopped into it, though he didn't have long to wait before his client appeared. Somehow his perfect poker face cough must have given something away, because she looked delighted to see him. Given his profession that wasn't entirely a surprise, but it wasn't always the case, either. So he decided to enjoy it while it lasted, because life was short and something something you could slip in the shower tomorrow.
"I'd love one," he agreed eagerly, basking in the Doubletake's undivided attention. He met Flora's eyes and the grin on his face widened without him realizing it as he leaned forward on the bar. "It was a long, thirsty flight from Halo. Did y'know there's a new island in th'Eurybia? Just showed up there after we fixed up th'Greatwood." He was definitely teasing her right back, smug as a robber the cops couldn't catch. "Like a whole chunk o'th'Fangs just got tossed out into th'middle o'th'ocean. Strangest damn thing."
Winking at the courier, Flora spins elegantly on her heel and begins to fix Tal his usual. If she perhaps has to bend down more than usual to find the ingredients, what of it? "You should get yourself a little cocktail cart for your ship." The queen suggested over one shoulder before she straightens and begins to reach for the things she actually needed.
Pouring, mixing, and then shaking, Flora sets down what might be called an old-fashioned in some places, but was known in the Hanged Man as a Halovian Night. "I bet that has something to do with whatever the Mathair did." Flora sasses right back. Leaning against the bar, she shrugs. "Deimos sent me a letter all mad about it." Which, based on the way her lips pursed together, Flora seemed to have taken on the chin well enough. "But I mean, it certainly seems like everything worked out just fine, huh?" Speaking of. Raising her eyebrows, the Doubletake drums her fingers suggestively on the counter.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
Tal might have been a happily settled man, but he was neither blind nor dead, and he couldn't help stealing a few surreptitiously appreciative glances at the assets on display while Flora mixed his drink. "Nah, a drunk captain on a skyboat is just askin' for trouble," he demurred ruefully. "I'll keep my drinkin' on dry land!"
Speaking of... the drink barely had a moment to settle before the courier had claimed it, grinning at his hostess's sassy comeback. Though the mention of Deimos had the grin falling away. He hid the wrinkling of his nose behind his glass as he took an appreciative sip. "Seems fine t'me," he agreed, seeing no downside to having a chunk of the Fangs end up in the ocean. Not after how much the map had already changed after the War, when the whole damned mountain range had collapsed in on itself.
Which was about the time that he realized Flora was giving him a meaningful look and the courier's grin returned. "This was th'toughest job y'ever sent me on." The smugness in his voice really said it all, even before he tugged at the leather thong around his neck and pulled the little bag on its length out from under his Vest and over his head. He shook his hair back - shinier and with a bounce of crisp volume to it thanks to Koa's tips - and held it out to the Doubletake. "Those riddles in th'tunnels are no joke!"
Tal has given Flora:
Unrefined Mageglass | Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s).
Flora's grin only grew as Tal produced the little bag, her aqua eyes lighting up with a mix of excitement and mischief. "Oh, the toughest job, was it?" she teased, her fingers drumming a quick rhythm on the counter as she leaned in closer. The sparkle in her eyes was unmistakable, her curls bouncing as she cocked her head to the side. "So tough you still had time to get your hair done? Should I be paying you or your stylist?"
Reaching out, she let her fingers linger as she plucked the bag from his hand, holding it up between them as if it might contain the secrets of the universe—or at least something close to it. With exaggerated care, Flora tugged at the drawstring, glancing briefly at Tal with a mock-serious expression. "You didn’t accidentally swap this with a bag of Halo snow, did you? Because if I open this and it’s just frost, I’m docking your pay."
Finally, with a theatrical flourish, she pulled the bag open, her expression shifting to one of genuine curiosity as she peeked inside. Whatever lay within must have satisfied her, because her lips curved into a satisfied smile, and she held it up triumphantly for a moment before tucking it safely into her pocket. "Excellent work."
Flora leaned back against the bar, raising an eyebrow at him. "So, tell me, how many of those riddles did you actually solve, and how many did Sohalia have to help you with?" Her tone was teasing, but her grin said she already knew the answer—or at least thought she did.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
Whatever Tal had been about to retort with died on his tongue as Flora teased him about his hair. Pink flooded up his neck and ears and he reached up to pat his shinier and less-scruffy mane self-consciously with his free hand as the Doubletake plucked the bag he held in the other. "Hey, I did it myself," he protested. "Koa's been givin' me tips. Conditioner an' shit. So, uh... y'think it looks good?" Not that he cared what Flora thought... or at least, he tried to look like he didn't.
As she pulled at the drawstring he just grinned at her threats, unperturbed. Her reaction was everything he hoped for in a successful delivery and he tried to play it cool by sipping his drink and looking smug. For once, he mostly succeeded!
It lasted about three seconds and luckily he'd managed to swallow the sweet burn of the Halovian Night before she poked a far-too-accurate hole in his facade. He looked upwards for guidance from Mort, then met Flora's bright blue eyes with an earnestness that was almost believable. "Oh, it was her first time with 'em, so I let her come up with her own answers first," he assured his hostess. "But she did great! I only had t'give her a few hints." Which was... kind of almost technically true, even! "So... about my payment?" He grinned and copied her finger-drumming from earlier, throwing in a little extra rata-tat-tat flourish at the end.
Flora’s grin falters for the barest moment at the mention of Koa, her fingers drumming lightly against the bar as a flicker of something unreadable passes through her aqua eyes. It’s gone just as quickly, replaced by a carefully maintained smile. “Mmm, well, Koa’s got good instincts,” she says breezily, though there’s a faint edge to her tone, the kind that might have gone unnoticed if Tal wasn’t so perceptive. “But don’t let it go to your head, Courier Extraordinaire.” She winks at him, leaning forward on her elbows against the bar as if to push past the moment entirely.
When he mimics her drumming with a flourish, she chuckles, her gaze narrowing playfully. “About your payment...” she drawls, her voice warm with mischief. Reaching beneath the bar, she retrieves two items: a small velvet bag and a rolled piece of parchment. The velvet bag jingles faintly as she places it on the counter, and with a dramatic flick of her wrist, she sets the parchment down beside it.
“Option one,” she begins, tapping the velvet bag with a manicured nail, “a lovely collection of dragon scales and manticore feathers. Rare, valuable, and likely to fetch a tidy sum wherever you decide to trade it.”
Then, with a coy tilt of her head, she unrolls the parchment, revealing it to be blank. “Or option two: a no-questions-asked favour, redeemable at any time. Just my signature here to make it official.” Her aqua eyes sparkle with challenge as she leans closer, her curls brushing against her cheek. “Choose wisely, Tal. You only get one.” Her gaze lingers, as if daring him to pick. The careful weight of her smile doesn’t waver, but the faint tension in her fingers where they rest on the counter might betray that Koa’s name still lingers in her mind, unspoken but not forgotten.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
He'd put his foot in his mouth enough times with the Doubletake that he tried to stay at least a little on his toes when he took a job for her anymore. He might not fully understand what the little slips and faltering of her smile meant, but he could at least figure out that it involved Koa. Koa, who had been a drunken, heartbroken mess in King's End a while back. The realization hit a little too late to do any good, so he hid his embarrassment behind another sip of his alcohol, and for once kept his mouth shut. It was remarkably easy when being called Courier Extraordinaire made him want to puff up like a little bird with a big swagger!
Though the wind came right out of his sails at those narrowed blue eyes and that drawled word: payment that sent little shivers of PTSD up the Messenger's spine. He pulled his drink a little closer, but greed had him leaning forward in spite of himself as the items were placed on the bar. The dragon scales and manticore feathers could only have come from one - okay, technically two - sources, and Tal's mouth tugged into a crooked grin at Flora's blatant milking of her family connections for all they were worth.
And then there was the parchment.
Calculations immediately started up behind those glacier-pale eyes. Thoroughly distracted by all the potential held in that deceptively fragile roll of parchment, he missed the tension in her fingers as he instead focused on her sea-blue gaze. "How big a favour are we talkin'?" he asked carefully. His fingers were already itching to inch towards the paper, but he wasn't going to take the leap without knowing exactly what was being traded.
Flora raises an eyebrow, her expression tilting into something between amusement and mock exasperation. "How big?" she repeats, her tone as smooth as the sea on a windless day. "How big do you want it to be?." Her fingers curl lightly around the edge of the parchment, lifting it just enough to emphasize its weight—not in paper, but in potential, and maybe to imply something a touch salacious too. "It’s a favour from me, Tal. Use your imagination."
She lets the parchment fall back onto the bar with a soft thud, her grin sharpening into something playful but edged with a touch of challenge. "You could use it to get out of trouble, get a free flight on a manticore or a dragon, borrow my channelling...one favour, no questions asked. As long as it doesn’t go against my crown or my family, I’ll make it happen." And of course a favour from Flora was roughly equivalent to a favour from anyone in her family, as well.
Leaning forward just slightly, Flora lets her aqua gaze lock onto his pale one, her curls brushing against her cheek as she lowers her voice to a conspiratorial murmur. "But you should know... once you cash it in, it’s gone. No do-overs. No asking for more." She taps the velvet bag with her nail again, the metallic clink of its contents audible. "So, if you’re not sure, you could always take the safe bet. Scales and feathers fetch a good price in most places, after all."
Tilting her head, she studies Tal for a moment, her smile softening just a touch. "It all depends on how adventurous you’re feeling, Courier Extraordinaire." The teasing warmth in her tone is unmistakable, but there’s a glimmer of sincerity in her gaze. The choice was his, and Flora wasn’t going to give him anything more to work with than that.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
A brief grin flashed across the courier's face at Flora's teasing and her hint of innuendo, his pale eyes alight with avarice interest. "Gettin' out o' trouble always comes in handy," he admitted, then waved off her caveats. "An' y'know I wouldn't do anythin' t'hurt Torchline or your dads." Hail, he still had more than a touch of starry-eyed hero worshiped for Ronin, and had some very healthy respect (and maybe a touch of fear) of Remi. Oh wait, there was one more, wasn't there? "...Or li'l Mateo," he added belatedly, still thinking of the precocious little botanist he'd met in the Oerwoud when he'd been delivering Petunia to her new home. And never mind that 'little' Mateo had grown up just as much as his sister had!
But Flora captured his gaze, the intensity of her blue eyes making him swallow hard. His fingers tightened on his glass as she leaned in and the kernel of common sense deep down in his soul warned him that this was one dangerous dame. The warning had him biting his lip and he glanced down at the clink of the velvet bag then back at his lovely hostess with his mind made up. The grin spread more slowly over his face as he relaxed and pointed at the parchment. "Well... yeah. Leastwise til y'need another big job done. I'll take th'favor, Queen Flora, if it ain't too much trouble!"
Flora’s grin widened, all aqua and sunlight like she’d known he’d pick the favour all along. “Smart choice, babe,” she purred, leaning just a fraction closer before straightening with a languid stretch that made her curls bounce. Her fingers were quick as they darted to snatch up the velvet bag, tucking it into the pocket of her floral sweater with a casual flick of her wrist.
The air between them settled, the energy shifting into something quieter but no less charged. Flora reached out to drum her fingers on the countertop as if already thinking ahead to whatever chaos might call her to collect on the deal. But before either of them could speak again, a loud crash erupted from the kitchen, the sound of something heavy and metallic hitting the ground followed by a string of muffled curses.
Flora’s head snapped toward the noise, her grin twisting into a grimace of irritation. “Ugh, what now?” she muttered, pushing away from the bar with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “I gotta go deal with that. Feel free to make yourself another drink, though.” She tossed the words over her shoulder with a wink before vanishing through the swinging door, her curls and the shimmer of her sweater the last thing visible as she went to deal with whatever new disaster awaited her.
~FIN
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
