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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!
A week and a half ago, Koa had suggested that they wait two weeks before meeting again. And as the end of the two weeks approached with no sign of a reply to her letter, Sohalia was getting nervous.
She'd come back to Torchline to help Flora pack, and stayed for a little longer if only to give herself something to do. She couldn't seem to sit still for very long, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why.
Today, she was shopping for a very specific outfit, and Haulani's marketplaces were renowned for their textiles. She wandered from store to store, vendor to vendor, looking for the exact look she had in mind. She wanted something pretty, but not that looked like it was trying too hard; delicate, but not too lacy; and in a light blue not unlike that of a forget-me-not flower, or maybe a few shades lighter, but not white. After visiting several of her favorite shops, she had still come up empty, and she settled on a nearby bench with a sigh.
Tarak leapt from her shoulder onto the bench, looking at her as though she should move on from her search. The little griffin preened his feathers, his bright blue standing out against the warm wood of the bench. Soh gazed at him affectionately. "No, I'm not going to give up," she told him determinedly. "The right thing is out there, I know it."
you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Having returned safely home from most of her adventures of the season, Nova had decided it was about time she updated her wardrobe. That called for new colors and patterns and textures and sparkles! She would have enlisted the strong, long arms of her brother, but he'd been out doing gods know what with gods know who, so she'd had to settle for using a wagon to lug around the supplies.
It was piled high with an assortment of fabrics and threads that seemed to burst with life as she rolled it down the street with a light hum on her lips. The bright pink of her dress moved elegantly around her legs as the scoops of ice cream she'd stitched in shone with all the vibrant colors of the rainbow. It was still a little cold despite the approaching Longheat, so her cropped jean jacket with the bleached stars kept her arms protected from the breeze that ruffled her burgundy and blonde strands of hair.
Eager to get home and work on her latest list of projects, she missed the cobblestone jutting up in her path before it was too late. Her body jolted with the force of the wheel getting stuck, and Nova let out a squeal of surprise before turning around to pull harder at the handle. She grit her teeth and leaned back with all of her meager strength, but it was very stuck, and she stopped when her breathing became embarrassingly labored. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked at the wagon like it had offended her, a small pout on her lips as she planned which strapping young man she'd snare into helping her.
Sohalia had sat on her bench for long enough. Determinedly bracing her hands on her knees, she leveraged herself to a standing position and looked down at Tarak. "Come on, then," she said, trying very hard not to sigh. "Let's keep looking. Scout ahead, will you? You know what colors I'm looking for." With a grumble, the griffin took to the sky, leaving Soh behind to search on her behalf.
As the Luminary turned to continue her own hunting, a squeal from nearby caught her attention, and she looked around to find a familiar face pouting as she considered a wagon that seemed to have gotten rather stuck. It was piled high with fabrics in every color of the rainbow, and it was no surprised that it had stopped against the raised cobblestone with how heavily it had been packed.
Smothering a smile, Soh approached. "Nova, hi!" she said cheerfully, glancing at the wagon with what she hoped was a sympathetic frown. "You, uh... you look a little stuck. Need some help?"
you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
A sudden voice from behind made her twirl, her dress flaring around her with the movement. Her smile beamed in recognition as she raised a hand in an exuberant wave. "Oh! Hi Soh!" The woman's question kept her from asking what the Attuned might be up to on such a fine, sunny day, her hands returning to her hips as she again inspected the uncooperative wagon. "Ugh. Yes. This darn wheel got stuck." She gently kicked a sandaled foot against the side before leaning down to look where the wheel had caught on the street.
A hint of earth magic lowered the stone enough that the wagon shifted slightly, loosening from its jammed position between the cobblestones. Giggling with delight, Nova jumped back up, clapping her hands as she looked to Soh. "If you push while I pull, I think we can get it out!" Without waiting, she bounced back to the handle, already moving into position.
Nova's enthusiastic greeting brought a smile to Soh's face anew. Despite their strange meeting ('Madam Marin,' anyone?), she was quickly coming to adore Nova, whose zest for life was catching. Soh couldn't help but be in a good mood around her.
Soh leaned down to look, too, and was surprised when the cobblestone lowered before her eyes. She raised her brows at Nova. She'd seen the girl shift, but had Soh known she could do magic, too? But instead of questioning it, Soh simply agreed to help. "Okay!" she said, moving to the back of the wagon and bracing her hands against it. "1, 2, 3 - go!" And then she pushed with all her might, hoping that it would be enough to get the wagon free.
you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Perhaps it was just Nova's pride that made her assume everyone knew how awesome she was (ie being a hybrid), so she didn't even think that it may come as a surprise, taking up her position at the handle. When Soh gave the count, she pulled back with all her meager might, feeling the wagon lighten between the two of them. It still took a bit of effort, but it was quickly dislodged, and Nova fell flat on her backside with a loud oomph and a small groan. "Ouch."
She moved to stand, dusting off the bit of dirt that stuck to her stitched ice creams before turning to Soh. "Thanks! That was easier than having to find some guy to help." Her wink said everything she didn't about how she'd convince them. Tilting her head, she finally asked, "What are you up to today?"
The wagon moved, Nova fell, and Soh hurried to offer her a hand. When the hybrid was once more on her feet and dusting herself off, Soh smiled. "No problem," she said. Then, with the talk turning to herself, she sighed heavily. "Oh I'm shopping. I, um... have a date coming up, and I had a very specific look I was going for, but I can't find anything in the right color."
She glanced at Nova's wagon, taking in the myriad hues that weighed it down, and still came up empty. It was at that moment that Tarak returned, landing easily upon her shoulder with a shriek that made her wince. "Okay, okay, no need to screech," she complained. Then she turned to Nova. "Tarak might have found what I'm looking for. Want to come?"
you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Taking to her feet, Nova didn't let the fall dampen her mood, especially when dates were involved. Her eyes shone so bright, they may as well have been silver as she clasped her hands together, eager to hear of the details. "OH? Who with?! What kind of look?" If Soh couldn't tell, Nova was a bit of a fashion expert, and always happy to lend her expertise.
As such, she didn't even flinch at the screeching griffin, too engrossed in the new task at hand. "Of course! I love shopping! And if you can't find anything you like, I could always make you something." Part of her hoped Soh might take her up on her offer, although the ice creams on her dress might not give the Attuned the most confidence in her abilities; however, Nova usually saved the best pieces for herself. Her other clothes were a bit tamer in comparison. Either way, she was just excited to find something that would make Soh look even more beautiful, the humming wiggle of her body giving it away as she followed down the street, her wagon trailing behind.
Nova was predictably excited by Soh's prospective date, and seeing as it was difficult to get excited with her best friend since Flora had dated Koa, and the entire situation was complicated and messy, it was nice to have someone with whom to share genuine enthusiasm with. "Okay, so remember when you did my reading? 'J' and 'K'? Well, I've reconnected with K recently, and one thing led to another, and now we're supposed to meet up for a date in a few days," Soh gushed animatedly, her excitement clear in the way her eyes shone and her face lit up.
As for her look: "I'm wearing forget-me-nots in my hair," she said. "And I have this super cute white top, and I was looking for a skirt in the same blue as the flowers, but I haven't found the right shade yet." Tarak continued to lead the way down the street, lighting on a street lamp near a shop that had various clothing items displayed in the window. Soh paused under the light, looking at the storefront dubiously. But the griffin seemed insistent, so she gestured towards the shop. "Tarak seems to think there might be something in there. He can guard your wagon, if you want to come in with me? I'd love your opinion, and your expertise if all we can find is a bolt of the right fabric!"
you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Although still very excited at the prospect of Soh going on a date, she was more than a little surprised to hear it was with 'K'. She'd cautioned her against pursuing anything with him, and she was fairly certain the woman had said she was done with those two... but it was still a date! Pushing aside her own doubts, Nova let their excitement bounce off each other. "Oooh! Really? That's so exciting! What changed?"
Her eyes were bright with creativity as she imagined the outfit, clapping her hands together to contain the outburst of delight. "Oh my gosh. That sounds so cute! I promise you'll have the perfect outfit." Whether they found the skirt inside or Nova ended up making her something, she just knew that Soh would look amazing. Leaving her wagon in the trusted care of Tarak, she gave him a little wave of thanks before hooking arms with Soh and pushing into the store to start their search.
Listen, Nova, you're only young once, and sometimes things happen that change your mind about certain things. Sure, Sohalia had been advised against pursuing either of her exes, and sure, things might not be going to work out as she'd hoped (what are timelines, anyway), but for now, she was young and in love and full of hope, and that was the energy that she brought to her hunt for the perfect outfit.
"We met up recently by accident and, I dunno, it's like... we just sort of left what happened in the past. Apologized and moved on. And we were trying to just be friends, you know? But then one thing led to another, and he said he didn't think he could be just friends, so... we'll see how it goes, but I'm hopeful!" Soh beamed as she talked, aware of the fact that she was gushing and doing absolutely nothing to stop it.
With Tarak to watch the wagon, the girls went into the shop and began to browse. It took a little bit of searching, but after a few minutes, Soh found a skirt and gasped aloud with delight. Pulling it from the rack, she held it up for Nova's inspection. "Oh my gods, is this the right color?"
you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Nova didn't mind gushing. She was usually the one who did all the talking, but when it came to the tale that Soh wove, she was more than happy to listen. Her breath gasped in excitement as they made their way into the store. "That's great! Maybe it's meant to be!" Like 'destiny' or 'fate' that people always talk about. "All the more reason that you need the perfect outfit!"
Her eyes turned to scan the skirt, appreciating the delicate material and the soft gradient of the light blue-purple coloring. She grinned, spinning to Soh. "It is!" Running her fingers over the material, she gave a soft frown as she thought of what was missing. Nova let out a contemplative hum, tilting her head. "But I think it would look better with a few forget-me-nots sewn into the bottom. Wouldn't you agree?" Petals stitched with a white thread, fragile and beautiful like they might be falling gently from her skirt.
For the first time that afternoon, Soh was beginning to feel like the perfect outfit was actually a possibility. She fingered the delicate fabric that had caught her eye. It flowed beautifully as she held it up, and Soh could imagine that it would flare perfectly as she spun. Then Nova made a suggestion that had her humming thoughtfully. Soh was many things, but a seamstress, she was not. To add forget-me-nots to the skirt and have them actually look like they were meant to be there? That was beyond her abilities.
"I don't know," she said hesitantly, not because she thought that Nova couldn't do it, but that she might not have time to before Soh was due to leave for the Greatwood. "I couldn't do something like that myself, and I don't have much time before I have to leave to meet Koa..." She bit her lip. "It's a good idea, though. It'd really tie everything together."
you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Despite Soh's hesitation, she could hear the wish in her tone, and she latched onto it. "Lucky for you, I'm pretty good at this sort of thing!" In almost a curtsy motion, Nova spread the pink fabric of her dress to display the rainbow of ice cream cones stitched into the bottom. It was one of her newer designs that she'd made that morning, and one of the reasons she'd been inspired to make her shopping trip this morning.
"I can work pretty fast! Maybe an hour tops?" There's hope in her eyes, glittering and bright and only dampened by the possibility that time might be just an excuse. "But if you have to leave sooner..." Her shoulders came up in a shrug, her lips tilting down at the idea of missing such an opportunity. After all, she'd had plenty of chances to make her siblings outfits, but few other people had let her prove what she could do.
