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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!
"You've gotta promise to behave yourself if we're gonna be helping people out here, y'know that?" Never in Danta's life did he think he'd have to be saying such a thing to Astaroth of all people, the king of composure himself, and nor did he ever expect to be the voice of reason under any circumstance. He doesn't like it, he isn't enjoying himself, and yet there's still no place he'd rather fucking be. Explain that one, emotions.
The morning is breezy and cool, the Maverick having donned his coat once again with the turn of the season, and his arm is linked casually (not) with Asta's as they head into Jack Tar Landing. With the Family's departure it's been an exercise in vigilance against the void, repair work for any damaged caused by the purple-hued creatures, and general maintenance as a sense of cautious normality begins to settle over the area.
"We're meeting someone at the dock to help unload some supplies," he continues - or so said the letter he'd found on his desk, presumably left there by Kiada. "and then we'll be repairing one part of the pier. Apparently some void-fucked delphinids caused some problems just before the Family disappeared."
Dantalion
getting sicker by the minute with debauchery
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can
“Since when have you become the voice of reason, darling?” The butcher asks, playful at first but with an undertone of someone who’s very much not excited about this outing. So not excited, in fact, that he’s glued to the Maverick, as if worried any additional bit of space might cause him to spiral out of control. It’s a sensation the butcher isn’t a fan of, with his comfort melting by the minutes they’re away from their den, but it's also the reason he doesn't verbally promise him, either.
He’s still dressed nicely, albeit more relaxed. A waistcoat is still sported, obviously, but beneath that sits a rather sheer shirt. Dark and with the sleeves carefully rolled up, flat to make the work easy, which only serves to show the silver scarring along his arms from the uses of bloodbane over the years, and the larger ones etched into his wrists from the shackles that kept him held down in the Climb.
His tail sweeps low at his ankles as his dark gaze takes in the area around, scouting for anything out of the ordinary that might cause for alarm, before his attention swings back to Danta, clearing of the paranoia surrounding their environment to melt into glimpses of adoration. “Alright. Unloading supplies. That is… Simple enough.” That he might be able to handle it, even if he’s not totally sure whether or not he will be able to the second he spots another living being speaking to their Theocrat.
"Since you stopped being it," Danta says sweetly to Asta as the ramshackle buildings of Jack Tar start to pop up all around them. Stepping in closer against the other man's side, his arm unlinks from the butcher's to curl around his waist instead, and he leans in to brush his nose affectionately against his cheek. "And besides, I was told that it'd look really good if we were seen out here helping out, so it'll be a real shame if you ruin that by biting someone's hand off."
Raising his eyebrows as if to say wouldn't it, eventually they're on the boardwalk where people, alas, are milling about, minding their own business and getting on with their work and their lives. (The audacity, Asta). Up ahead he can see someone waving as they recognise them - a dockhand who has been waiting for them to show up to begin the work, evidently. "If we get through this an everyone still has their limbs, I might actually have some light to shed on your moodiness," Danta adds with a cheeky grin.
Dantalion
getting sicker by the minute with debauchery
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can
“Mmhm.” Asta says, completely doing his best to bypass the sweet comment if only to focus on everything else they had going on, the way his hackles still remain raised enough that the butcher pastes the smile on his face even if his calculating gaze says everything else. His hand twitches when Danta untangles his arm from being linked with his and exhales a quiet bit of relief when his arm slips around his waist and he leans into him. “I will be good.” He hums, a quiet vow that he’s currently spending all of his willpower enacting.
He tilts his head into Danta’s affections, slipping his arm around Danta’s shoulders gently in turn, continuing to let his black honey gaze peer out at the surrounding area and the people simply living their lives. He knows it, logistically, but it keeps that dangerous glint in the smile that sticks on his face. And gods does it pinpoint on the deckhand that waves at them. His tail flicks sharply, but he takes a long, slow deep breath to measure himself as he untangles himself reluctantly from his lover. “Oh? Doing research now, are we?” He asks with a hint of amusement, letting his gaze linger on the way the light falls against the Maverick’s sharp cheekbones.
So he exhales softly, resigning himself to the task at hand if only to get some insight on why he’s felt so off, though something tells him it won’t matter knowing or not.
"For both of our sakes, I really hope that you manage to be," Danta says with a soft laugh, though he's not entirely joking. "You'll hate it even more if I have to send you off to an inn without me, so probably best to grin and bear it, no?" His arm remains snug around Asta's waist, his free hand coming up to caress the sleeve of the butcher's shirt around his shoulder. "This is more provocative than usual, mm?" He murmurs, before they're both being distracted by the work at hand.
Waving back to the dockhand and letting his tail curl around Asta's calf to give it a brief squeeze, it isn't long before they're forced to part by the act of unloading crates from the boat, something Danta neither loves nor hates, which is about as good as to be expected. "Not research, exactly. Just... joining together a few dots and seeing if the bigger picture makes sense," he tells the butcher, hauling a crate down the gangplank and stacking it neatly for transportation.
Dantalion
getting sicker by the minute with debauchery
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can
“Gods, I would. You are correct.” He laments, the dramatic drawl sighing out of him more akin to a hiss than an actual sigh. So he’ll do his best to keep his teeth to himself, but he can’t promise that the cadence of his step won’t harbor the underlining of violence. Feeling the brush of his lover’s hand on his sleeve, peeling his gaze over from the deckhand that waves at them upon their approach. “It is. Do you like it?” He hums, flashing his too sharp smile over at the Maverick before they’re forced to part.
And it grates, even though the lingering press of Danta’s tail against his leg lingers despite their distance. He puts his frustration into the work, snagging box after box to load up. “Ah, and so you are keeping me in the dark to ensure I have a reward? Is that it, darling?” He calls back as they pass one another, the butcher snagging another box as his tail continues to flick against his heels with the underlining irritation.
"Very much so," Danta purrs, bouncing his eyebrows over the top of the crate he's got clutched to his chest. "I look forward to putting my hands all over it. Later." The last part feels utterly like a necessity these days, and he breezes by Asta to set another box down. The deckhand, bless his soul, tries to engage them both in friendly conversation, and Danta is happy to oblige from a distance (just in case) though he leaves the butcher to his work.
And he's quick and thorough with it, to Asta's credit, hauling the crates much more quickly than Danta, though the Maverick is all smiles as he snags the last crate from this part of the dock. "I thought you would prefer to know when we were all done. Motivation and all that," he chirps, stretching his arms above his head once they are finally able to stop.
"You're a horny stag," he tells him proudly. "It's your feirw shift that's making you crazy. Not so surprising, given that you've always had antlers to headbutt people with."
Dantalion
getting sicker by the minute with debauchery
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can
“Ah, I look forward to it, darling.” And he does, shamelessly, which still feels so weird for the butcher. Even still, the sharp smile aimed his lover’s way is one that grows sharper toward the deckhand with his idle chatter, the easy conversation that feels like grating words on his soul as he moves box after box. Dust and salt crusted edges cling to the sleeves of his shirt and chest as he deposits another box down, only offering short commentary in return, leaving it for Danta to answer in all the colorful, playful ways he often did.
And when Danta sets the last crate down from the ship, the butcher’s standing on the dock with his tail still flicking at his heels, watching the Maverick with shameless adoration, arms crossed, leaning against the stack of crates with his hip and his shoulder. “A reward.” Asta corrects playfully, because motivation at the end of the day was simply just to receive a reward. Whether it was the answer to the strangeness he feels or the promise of a nap.
The proud boast has him straightening up, though, the laugh escaping him in disbelief — even though it does seem to make sense. He’d never experienced it before in order to equate it. Th laugh dies down and he rubs at his face, before he threads his hands in his hair to brush the dark strands back and out of his face, walking the short distance back to Danta to wrap him in a hug. “I may have always had antlers, but I have never had a feirw shift until recently. So… I suppose that makes sense why I have never felt like this before.” And certainly not for this long.
Fleeting feelings, perhaps, the brief moment when blood struck the air and Danta looked at him a certain way. Moments that lasted seconds, rather than minute after minute. "What else must we do, or have I succeeded in not stealing still-attached fingers?"
"A reward, then," Danta confirms, smiling sunnily and reaching out to carefully brush some of the salt and sawdust from Asta's clothes before his arms suddenly snake around him. "Mm, that was my reasoning as well," he says with a nod, peering up at the other man and leaving the deckhand and a few dock workers to count and label the crates now that they are off the ship. "The bad news is that it'll last all season, and that it might come back year after year."
The good news is that Danta doesn't mind it at all, especially not now that he knows the cause. "You have succeeded so far," he confirms. "But now we need to put these labelled crates onto carts to send them on their way. And then there's the pier repairs to get on with, but I imagine we can take a break before then to have lunch."
Dantalion
getting sicker by the minute with debauchery
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can
Not minding Danta’s fussing, the butcher’s more content to embrace him than he is about the dirt clinging to him (which also says something about his current state of mind). And with the answer of it lasting all season, well, Asta’s groan is quiet as he presses his bearded cheek into Danta’s crown, unsure how much longer he can take of it when it’s only been basically no time at all. “Ah, something to look forward to.” He drawls, unamused.
Even more unamused when Danta confirms that he has succeeded in not snatching fingers and bites out of the crew thus far, but with still more work to do, he exhales slowly and pulls away briefly to drop a kiss to his lover’s forehead before claiming one from his lips - a sweet, lingering one, with all the promise of what’s to come after.
“Alright, shall we, then?” He asks softly, parting reluctantly again in order to scan the crew and see how close to finishing the labels they are.
"Mm, I thought you'd enjoy that," Danta confirms with a smile that's not quite apologetic, his hands smoothing down the butcher's back as if to try to keep him held together for the meantime. "Exercise helps, apparently. And not just the kind I bet you're thinking of," he adds, a laugh escaping under his breath. Not that he expects to find his lover going for early morning runs like Flora had spoken of with Ronin, but... who knows, maybe there's something.
Unsurprised by the kisses at this point, Danta melts into them before being forced to step back, and he turns at the approach of a couple of carts for them to load the crates onto. "If we work together we'll be quicker," he advises Asta with a gentle nudge of his hip; this way as well, at least, he won't be putting too many people between himself and the butcher. Which is probably safer for everyone.
Dantalion
getting sicker by the minute with debauchery
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can
His tail curls with affection and delight as Danta’s hands smooth down his back, the butcher settling even as his smile shifts toward a shark-toothed smirk. “For once, my thoughts are in the gutter, darling.” Perhaps knowing the cause makes it easier for him to make these jokes - as someone who’s characteristically very much not a sexual person, it’s certainly thrown him for a loop to have all this pent up within him, bouncing at the walls.
“A brilliant idea, though I expect nothing less from you.” He teases, nudging his lover back with his elbow gently before he parts to snag one labeled crate and loads it onto the cart - remaining nearby it so that Danta could hand off his crates to him to load up onto the cart. “You know… I am glad to actually have a reason for it that is not just me losing my mind.” He says idly, as if he’s spent the last few moments still wrapping his mind around it.
"They certainly are. I might struggle to reaclimatise once we get to Deepfrost and you're back to your usual self," Danta says with just a touch of wistfulness in his voice, though honestly, if both of them were as bad as he is all year around, they'd never get anything done. Grinning and giving an indulgent agreement - he is full of brilliant ideas, isn't he - Danta moves to the pile of crates so they can start their little production line.
A few deckhands help out on the other cart, which has the double benefit of the work going quicker and keeping them all away from Asta, though the Maverick doubts they need to be told twice about it. One look at the butcher is enough to persuade them to stay out of his way, he feels.
"Yeah? Same, honestly. Not that it hasn't been... refreshing? But it's nice to know you'll get a break from your own crazy when the season is over." He grins, the gesture fanged but kind. "Maybe we can go to The Climb and let the feirw in you go headbutt some stuff too. Might help."
Dantalion
getting sicker by the minute with debauchery
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can
Snorting under his breath, the butcher concedes - even if he shoots a glance back toward the Maverick with a slight raise to his brow. “After all of this time trying to keep up, darling?” The arrogance is back, a playful gleam to underline it, punctuating the point. But they get to work, with their little duo while the others work on other carts which honestly helps to keep his teeth precisely in his mouth — where they should be.
Even if his gaze pauses on occasion just to ensure no one is lingering too close, it seems he’s warded them a safe distance away and for that he’s quietly grateful.
So as he offers his honesty in terms of knowing what was driving him insane, his dark gaze warms with affection as he peers over at his lover, snagging the box from his hands to place. “We should. I have not fully let it out without a reason to.” Using it typically in means of fighting or herding, he hasn’t simply shifted and let it be.
“Perhaps in a space where I cannot set anything aflame and can run around would do some wonders.” He does not yet know he’ll prance, but that surprise will be what Danta gets to witness without the preamble.
