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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.
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07-29-2025, 10:06 AM (This post was last modified: 07-29-2025, 10:13 AM by Ronin.)
and on to the glory at my right hand
Ronin hasn't forgotten, even if his glimpse of Amalia has been so fleeting in the crowd of others who had arrived, both alive and dead, to share in their anniversary. As soon as he can free himself for a moment, though, he seeks out the Archangel in the crowd, making sure to arm himself with a couple of glasses of punch as he threads through people with greetings and excuses, until he can find himself at her side.
"Hey." He almost breathes as she's within earshot at last, the Knight offering a warm smile and a drink for her to take. "Sorry I couldn't find you sooner. It's been... it... yeah." Huffing out a laugh and gesturing at the mix of ghosts and guests all around, Ronin has barely been able to catch a stray thought for himself, though in truth he hasn't minded it one bit. His face will hurt from smiling tomorrow, but if that's the highest price he's got to pay, he'll take it.
"I didn't... I mean, gods, Ama. It's amazing to see you, but I'm so sorry we didn't get a chance to say goodbye."
It has been a roller coaster of an evening for Amalia, a girl who's never experienced a moderate emotion in her life. Or death, as it turns out; for while the peace of an afterlife has tempered her somewhat, the inherent nature of the Shield can never be undone. Eventually she finds herself in a quiet place, her busy mind processing, her curious eyes soaking in every moment, every movement, every wonderful second of magic and marvel that is being alive.
Ronin finds her, then, as he had so often before, and Amalia turns readily to her friend, thoughtful expression growing warm. "A lot?" she supplies, accepting the drink with a grateful smile, though her nose scrunches slightly as she takes the first sip. Ever a lightweight, the girl had never learned to enjoy the taste of alcohol, though in later years she could appreciate the value of a comfortable buzz.
His words cast faint shadows over her thoughts, and she turns away to shield him from the shift in her expression, determined not to be a source of pain on this, his wonderful day. "Me too," she whispers, unable to keep the tremulous edge from her voice, regret for all the things she's missed flashing in dark eyes.
She rallies, though, smiling at Ronin, leaning in to bump her shoulder on his. "I can't believe it's been ten years." Ten years since she performed their wedding ceremony, an honor for which she had felt, at the time, woefully underprepared. Shifting, Amalia lets her weight settle against him, leaning easily into his familiar warmth. "Though if anyone was going to pull it off it'd be you two. I've never known a more stubborn pair of fools." The laugh that follows isn't forced in the slightest, and when she tilts her face up toward him it holds nothing but adoration and warmth. "Congratulations, Mr. White Knight."
"A lot." Ronin nods his fervent agreement, eyes widening a fraction, though given how rare a gift this is, he hardly feels as though he has a right to complain. He takes a sip of his own punch, though it goes down a lot more easily (granted, that's likely a combination of habit and having been socially lubricating himself for hours now), and he doesn't look away even as he spots the shadows start to flicker on Amalia's face.
She bumps against his shoulder and leans into him, and his arm stretches around her in a hug without needing to think twice about it. "Well," he says, emotion roughening his voice a bit, "here's a hello, Ama. And when the night's over, we'll say see you later. How about that?"
A disbelieving laugh huffs out of him as she speaks again - every time someone says it, ten years, Ronin also has to remind himself that it's true - and he grins down into his drink. "I can't speak for Remi, but I take that as the highest possible compliment," he tells her warmly; a stubborn pair of fools is something the Taliesins ought to have crocheted and hung on their wall.
"Thank you," he adds, his tone more sincere as he gazes down at her. "For the congratulations, and for being a good friend over the years. I've missed you."
