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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!
In their brief intervals of lanterns, Lena didn’t have much opportunity to explore the vastness of the Greatwood. Likely for the better, as she probably would’ve become hopelessly lost and simply fly out in any direction – but it held the sort of ambience that called and harkened back to precious vines and leaf litter. The village in the distance of the expanse had worn her way at curiosity too, so when she had a free moment away from the Celestine and any Dragoon business, she took it – landing upon the skyport boundaries and staring across the great expanse of the Sidhe Village.
The first thing she noticed were the colors of the market; warm glows, incandescent hues of cloth, fabric, and delicate fineries. She was almost sad to have missed this before infestations and Family woes; but now there was opportunity again, and she’d take it.
Gifts were the foremost in her mind, and then perhaps some new seedlings to take home and nourish in the earth of her own gardens – and so she began a very slow and methodical trace about the square, stopping first at a Fae merchant with a whole host of sweets, eyes widening at the surplus and notions imaginable.
The market was colorful and bright, with a variety of goods of much finer make than Noe would have expected from Sidhe Village. No shade or anything; she just didn't know much about the Fae, and with the Greatwood having been largely reclaimed by the wilderness, she wasn't sure how fancy a marketplace there could be.
Since she was here, and since there was more to see than she'd anticipated, the engineer set about exploring. She'd just turned away from a shop selling beautiful lengths of silk when she saw a familiar figure by a sweet shop. "Hey, Lena!" she called out, marching across the marketplace to come to a stop by the Caretaker. Mika, wound gently around Noe's neck and peering out from beneath her dark waves, hissed her own greeting. Noe gestured vaguely to the sweets, mouth already watering. "I could eat all of these. How about you?"
Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong Little did I know I'm a champion
Lena didn’t expect to see anyone here she recognized, so the call of her name took her out of the brief window shopping reverie, moving aside and out of the way of other partakers of trade. Noe marching across the marketplace had her waving and smiling, however, somewhat more relaxed and at ease now, instead of tiptoeing around a world she scarcely knew. “Noe – how are you doing?”
As for the lovely choices in front of them, she hummed underneath her breath, shifting off to the side and glancing at the wares again. “Truly. Some of these I’ve never seen before, but they look amazing.” Flickering over a few portions of taffy, lemon drops, and something clearly maple-enhanced, labels of clotted cream fudge and the like, she uttered in a stage-whisper of sorts, trying to keep things together in her mind for specific people. “Which one would your brother like the most?” Then she peered over at the mata-mata, giving it a large smile as well. “Did you acquire a new friend?”
01-02-2025, 04:57 PM (This post was last modified: 01-02-2025, 04:57 PM by Noe.)
"I'm good," Noe chirped, a hand going to Mika's scales as though it were habitual to run a finger along the mata mata's spine. "How about you?" She didn't know much about Lena, but she seemed far from home. Noe couldn't help but wonder what the Caretaker was doing all this way away from Stormbreak - not that it was really any of her business.
The sweets were many and varied, and Noe looked them all over. There was fudge, and lemon drops, and taffy, and so much more that made her mouth water just looking at it. "I'd probably get him one of everything," she said with a grin. "Couldn't go wrong with any of it, really."
Then Lena smiled at Noe's companion, and Mika hissed a greeting of her own, her head swaying back and forth as she emerged from the girl's hair to greet the Caretaker. Given that Noe had bonded Mika in the Celestine, it was entirely possible, she supposed, that Lena knew her new companion already. "This is Mika!" she said proudly. "I just bonded her recently. Isn't she precious?"
Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong Little did I know I'm a champion
Pleased to hear Noe was doing well, she smiled again, all warmth and pleasantries. “Busy, but I think that goes for everyone nowadays,” she winked, presuming the engineer committed to labor intensive means frequently as well. “Thought I would take a brief moment to shop.” By way of explanation, especially with new to her markets – gaining something from another region seemed intriguing and different. While not one-of-a-kind by any measure, snagging objects and sweets not found in Stormbreak had its appeal.
One of everything made her laugh, and while she didn’t have the coin to do that, she’d certainly pick up a few things for Koa and Zavien both. And maybe herself too. “Fair enough.” She pointed out several portions to the merchant once they were available and finished with other patrons, and ended up with a nice assortment of the fudge, maple candy, lemon drops, and some bits and pieces of taffy.
Standing by while Noe made her selections, she grinned at the mata mata, realizing she had seen this one before. Not as a resident of the Celestine, but as a visitor, one of the many frequent wanderers. “Congratulations. She’s wonderful.” Out of habit, she grabbed a treat out of her pockets, reaching out with a flat palm in case the little creature felt inclined to snag the small bit of jerky.
Like Lena, Noe didn't have the coin for one of everything, and she made her selections with her meager hoard of money in mind. She'd only just started her own business, after all, and things were slower than she'd anticipated. It was the time of year - people were settling in and sticking with what they had rather than building anything new. Which was fine and all, except that it meant less business for her.
As Noe paid the vendor, Mika uncoiled herself from around the girl's neck and floated cheerfully over to Lena, politely taking the jerky from the Caretaker's outstretched palm before hissing her thanks and returning to Noe, twining back beneath her bonded's waves in an attempt to stay warm. "Thank you," Noe said, her voice full of a warmth that she reserved for Mika and very few people. "She's everything I never knew I needed."
With their purchase made and more to see, Noe gestured to the market. "I saw a milliner around the corner with the most outrageous hats," she said. "Do you want to go see, or are you busy?"
Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong Little did I know I'm a champion
Laughing at the little mata mata, Lena dusted her hands off and gently placed her newfound bundle of sweets into her bag for later gifting and exchanging. “Companions have their way of doing that,” she hummed; filling in bonds and amplifying exactly what was necessary. Mittens had its own uncanny way of doing so – though most people didn’t see it – fiercely protective and loyal, when the Caretaker herself never deigned to guard her own soul.
Distracted from looking any longer at the sweets, lest she be tempted to simply buy more, Noe’s suggestion had her eyes rounding, and a youthful glow around her smile. “Oh, yes please. The more ridiculous the better.” She could imagine Zavien pulling off, or even being enamored by some outrageous display.
Noe was new to the whole companion thing, but already she adored her mata mata and knew that without Mika, a piece of her would never be the same. She nodded along with Lena, reaching up to stroke Mika's scales. The snake hissed gently, tightening her grip on the girl slightly in the mata mata version of a hug.
Noe smiled and looped her little bag of sweets over her arm, then led the way to the milliner's stand. There were all kinds of hats on display, each more ridiculous than the last. Noe picked up a bright pink one with a big, floppy brim and feather decorations and placed it on her head, turning to Lena with a grin. "How do I look?" she asked, striking a pose.
Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong Little did I know I'm a champion
Meandering through the market with a goal and purpose in mind had been all well and good, but the concept of the hats already had her laughing and altering some plans in mind. The bright pink, with matching feather adornments, was certainly a complement to Noe’s features, but she couldn’t quite imagining the younger woman walking through Stormbreak with it. “Oh, very striking!” She pointed towards a mirror nearby, trying not to bother the merchant with their sense of humor, but at least so the engineer could revere herself in all its wonder and splendor.
The Caretaker’s eyes went towards a cowboy hat that she was certain Zavien could appreciate, but then several other facets – one that was clearly meant to embody an octopus, another large enough to encompass an entire person, and an intriguing beret until she realized the top portion was in fact, altered to look like a pizza. “I wonder if they get a lot of business…” she whispered to Noe, not meaning to be unimpressed, but certainly curious, as she flicked a finger over one hat's propellers.
Noe preened beneath Lena's praise, pursing her lips comically and striking another pose, trying her hardest not to laugh. In all honesty, she actually rather liked the hat; it was just that she didn't have anywhere she could wear it. She wasn't sure where one would don any of these hats, though. Maybe for some kind of big, fancy event, but who was even hosting those anymore?
Noe put the hat back on its stand, then looked around. There was a whole host of animal-themed hats, including the octopus that Lena had seen. There was a frog, and a goose, and even a fish that looked like its mouth was wide open, ready to swallow someone's head whole. Then there were the food-based hats: a taco was her favorite, personally. And then, finally, there was a bright green creation from which a single purple flower sprouted straight into the air. Of course, those were the novelty hats; there were also some luxury ones, like the feathered creation Noe had tried on earlier.
"I don't know," she whispered back, browsing all this with a raised brow. "Where would you even wear a taco hat?"
Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong Little did I know I'm a champion
Lena quite liked the taco hat as well, and while she’d already snagged the cowboy rendition for Zavien, she couldn’t help but laugh – conjuring all the possibilities. “Maybe at a…taco party..?” She’d never attended one, but now that the idea had formed in her mind, it seemed like an intriguing event. “I bet Ludo would love it.” As an aside; the trickster deity might be fond of such humorous effects.
Noe didn’t seem keen on selecting or buying the large, floppy brimmed concoction, and as the Caretaker perused some more, eyes comically wide at some of the animal ones, she grabbed hold of the fish hat, incapable of stopping herself from trying it on, or smothering the lightest of giggles. “What do you think? Could I walk into the Barracks or Celestine with this?”
Noe made note of the cowboy hat in Lena’s hand and raised a brow. She hadn’t pegged the Caretaker for the cowboy hat kind of woman, but then, she supposed she didn’t know her all that well. Maybe it was for someone else - although it was hard to imagine Zavien, who she’d met in the Celestine, as a cowboy, either.
The girl laughed at the thought of a taco party, nodding along that Ludo would indeed love it. ”Maybe we should host one,” she said thoughtfully. ”Can you imagine?” Honestly, it might be fun. So much of Stormbreak these days was either business as usual or holding its breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop from the Family - maybe it was time to bring a little fun back into the city.
She watched as Lena donned the fish hat, smothering her own giggle and fighting to keep a straight face. ”It suits you,” she said seriously. ”You should definitely get it and wear it home.”
Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong Little did I know I'm a champion
“I could, actually,” and she grinned in return. “Could pop one up in the Celestine gardens,” centered with a wink, but given other plans she’d been forming in her mind, it wasn’t a half-bad notion. As long as it was far away from some of the recovering animals, and didn’t become such a pattern to be pinpointed amidst those they were aiming to commit sedition upon. “Or in the Plaza. I'll go if you go.” Centered more around camaraderie, rather than revolution. Content with the idea, she laughed again, and placed it in her hands with the cowboy hat – joke gifts, but amusing just the same.
“I think I’ll take the taco hat rather than the fish,” she extended, placing the garb back amidst its piles. “I wanted to check out some of the leather goods too.” Figuring eventually Zavien would need something of that realm, and not wanting all her gifts to be humor-related. “Anything you’re going to grab?” She began to slowly orient herself towards the merchant, who apparently hadn’t heard either of them fooling around, or was simply used to it, based on their goods.
A pop-up taco party sounded like just what the healer ordered, if you asked Noe, and the girl grinned widely at the thought. With plans settling into place, she picked up the flower hat and placed it on her head, turning this way and that to see the full effect in the mirror before returning the creation to its pedestal. "It's a date," she joked, entirely unaware of the interesting turn that their party would take in the not-so-distant future.
Noe wavered, her gaze flicking back to the pink monstrosity that had brought out the color in her cheeks. "I think I'll grab this one," she said after a moment, snagging at the concoction. "You know, just in case." After all, she had the perfect outfit in mind, and it was with that thought at the forefront that she followed Lena to browse the leather goods.
Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong Little did I know I'm a champion
