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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!
She picks a spot just outside of the Inner Quarter during the peak of the day. The sun streams down through the thin layer of wintry clouds, shimmering against the patches of snow that have begun to form against the base of the trees and bramble bushes. Birds chirp in an irritatingly cheerful tune to greet the chill of Deepfrost, although they stay out of sight from her glinting dagger. It's a smart decision because she can already feel the bloodlust beginning to nip at her thoughts, prodding her to hunt.
A whisp of white clouds her vision as she lets out a huff of air, wrapping a sliver of fire through her chilling fingertips. The thick black cloak over her shoulders isn't enough to protect her from the stiffness trying to infiltrate her limbs, and she begins to grow impatient waiting for the others, glancing towards the shadows of the forest and the different tracks she can spot in the undergrowth. Without her shift, she can't quite scent what they may be, but she hopes there's something large amongst the prey. Her body already sits tense against the tree, ready to set out the moment the guests of honor arrive.
run, baby, run, run for your life i'ma tear out your heart, it'll always be mine
On the plus side, it’s close to home. On the bad side, Asta hasn’t left the confines of their room in days, which makes it all that much more difficult to get himself together enough to step out into the cold. A hunt sounds good, though, his bloodlust having started to rear its head in the back of his mind. Sated enough for now, at least, but not for too much longer.
He’s bundled in a thick sweater with a warm, thermal undershirt – warm pants and boots. His arm is linked with Dantalion’s, half curled into him as his horns spark with fire in a chandelier of heat as they reach the rendezvous point, a sleepy but no less sharp smile shot Thalassa’s way. “Good afternoon, darling.” He hums, drawing silent after to stifle a yawn. Her tension is noted, but he doesn’t have any of the fire within him to spark his bones into moving faster.
Danta has had to more or less steer them to keep them from listlessly wandering off the road and into the settled snow, and he's hiding his amusement behind the scarf looped around his nose and mouth as they finally arrive. Clad in the burgundy leather of a coat he'll be wearing from now until Longheat, more or less, he's perfectly comfortable in the chill, especially with the addition of a pair of sleek gloves and sturdy boots he's still breaking in.
"Fancy seeing you here, Thal," he chirps in greeting, as if they haven't arranged deliberately to meet right here at this very time and place. "How's Deepfrost treating you so far?" He shifts to loop a casual arm around Asta's waist, as if to keep him from either nodding off on his feet or stumbling away to sit down beneath a tree in the cold.
Dantalion
// put your, put your v-v-venom in me //
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
The appearance of the couple does something that few people can: it brightens her mood. Whereas most people would get a glare and maybe a snap of her teeth, for Asta and Danta, she smirks a greeting along with a curt nod of her head. Her boot pushes off from the tree to shrug the stiffness starting to take hold, the tilt of her head is that of a teasing predator assessing the easy terrain. "What a weird coincidence." Her tone pretends to be suspicious, like she thinks he might just be stalking her even though she asked them to join her on the hunt, but she can't deny that she's happy to see them.
Shrugging her shoulders under her heavy cloak, her boots crunch in the fresh snow. "Like shit, but certainly better than Leafchange did," her eyes scan the supporting hold and the stifled yawn, "although perhaps I should be asking you guys the same question." Thal raises an eyebrow in a playfully accusing question, the quirk of her lips a little more tense with impatience. "Are you sure you're up for this today? I could always just bring you the food instead." She doesn't want dead weight holding her back, and Asta looks practically dead on his feet; but she owes them, and whether they want to shred into the meal themselves or just dine on the spoils, Thal won't blame them either way. She might even be able to resist any mocking comments.
run, baby, run, run for your life i'ma tear out your heart, it'll always be mine
Quietly grateful for the support Danta provides, Asta’s content to lean against him as they arrive to the designated rendezvous point. Upon seeing her, he flashes her that sharp smile (still tired, but there nonetheless) and leans into the arm that wraps around his waist keeping him settled and standing despite the snow and chill that clings to him.
Happy to hear the bit of banter between Thalassa and Danta, the butcher shakes his head softly. “No, no. I am already out here and I did not get the chance to sate my bloodlust before Deepfrost attained its grip over me.” He sighs a little, loosening his hold on Danta only so that he can stand up a bit straighter, like he’s trying to breathe fire into his bones that want nothing more than to crawl back to bed.
“Please just ensure I do not become a devilishly handsome gargoyle in the process, if it is not too much trouble.” His tail sweeps low behind him, out of reach of the snow piled up as he shifts his weight and squeezes Dantalion’s arm, leaning in briefly to press a kiss to his cheek as if to prove to him he was up for this too.
"My favourite kind of coincidence, honestly," Danta croons. One where there might be blood and killing in the future, he means. "And I would agree that Deepfrost is also treating us better than Leafchange, though it's only the beginning of the season, and we've spent most of it asleep so far." Flashing a grin up at Asta, his tail flicking its amusement at his heels, he raises his eyebrows to echo Thal's sentiment: would the butcher be up to it?
But of course the taller Ancient won't be put to shame, Danta shifting so he can straighten up to get his head in the game. "Oh I'm sure we can handle that between us," he says with a rumble of laughter, head tilting towards the kiss aimed against his cheek. "Anyway - what do we expect to find out here today? Anything good lurking out there?" he asks, glancing to Thal in case she's heard anything promising while she's been waiting for them.
Dantalion
// put your, put your v-v-venom in me //
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
The grin she throws Danta is sharp and knowing, sharing in the relief for a new season as much as the bloodlust nipping at her thoughts. It makes her less inclined to risk Asta's dragging limbs and sleepy disposition delaying their hunt, but he insists, and Thal finds it too amusing to argue over, certain she'll eat one way or another. "Whatever you say." Her shoulders shrug, but she lets her gaze linger on Danta and their new responsibility, rolling her eyes playfully. "I don't know. that's asking for a lot. After all, I'd love the chance to draw on your stony face." He'll recall her saying as much previously, although the fanged grin is more humor than mischief, not quite willing to put him through that just so she can draw a dick on his forehead.
Tilting her head, she looks again to the forest. "I haven't gotten a chance to investigate yet, but I heard rumor of a bear wreaking havoc and some wolves prowling around. There might also be a herd of luxeres based on the tracks I could see." Smirking lightly, she flicks her tail and cups fire in her hands as she says, "I'll leave the choice to you guys, but I'd prefer if you make it quick."
run, baby, run, run for your life i'ma tear out your heart, it'll always be mine
The warm laugh slips from his throat in a soft plume of clouds as the butcher rolls his eyes fondly, letting his exasperation even out as Danta says they can handle it between them. “Thank you.” He drawls softly, pointedly to Danta before he smirks over toward Thalassa and the continued threat from before that seems to extend to now. “I would much prefer to wake without anything drawn on my face.” He straightens up, shaking out his wrist briefly as if it might help wake him up.
“Ooh, we have options.” He muses aloud, pausing briefly before he glances toward Danta then back to Thalassa. “I may be able to lure some of the wolves over if we are itching for a fight.” If he used his feirw shift, he might be able to seem like a weak little fiery deer that the wolves might wish to choose in lieu of the luxere that may be harder and tougher to handle this time of year. It also has the added bonus of him not needing to be as stealthy and sneaky as he might if he were in another shift.
"You don't have to wait for him to become a gargoyle to draw on his face, you know," Danta says, amusement lacing his tone even as he leans affectionately against the man beside him. "He's been sleeping like the dead since the first snowfall, so I bet you could get away with it if you ever just caught him napping." Which is also a likely occurrence these days, but the Maverick opts not to say as much.
Naturally, Danta immediately brightens at the idea of taking down a bear out in the snowy woods, but then Asta has to go and make sense, and with a theatrical sigh that drags his shoulders down, he nods his head in reluctant agreement. "At least there will be plenty to go around if we choose wolves," he says. "And you haven't seen anything until you've seen Asta prance. I've not seen it in the snow yet, so this should be quite special."
Dantalion
// put your, put your v-v-venom in me //
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Thal raises an unintimidated eyebrow, unwilling to retract her threat. In fact, she blinks innocently at Asta, doubling down as she adds sweetly, "Then don't turn into a statue." With a dangerously bright grin, she turns to Danta, offering a loud hum of approval that nearly purrs with delight. "Mmm. You make a very valid point." One she would definitely keep in mind for later, because for now, it sounds like there's violence on the horizon.
And she's always itching for a fight.
When the men seem to settle on the wolves, Thal presses her hands together to smother the fire, sealing the decision with a sharp nod of her head that has her dark hair catching the frigid breeze flowing from behind them. "Great. We can have our bait prance ahead in case he nose-dives into the snow for an impromptu nap." Flashing him a teasing smirk, she gestures with a dramatic flourish of her hand for Asta to lead the way, ready to slink behind in shadows.
if you could find your way inside you'd have to find a way to stay alive
“Shhhhhhhh.” The butcher drawls with a warm laugh, shaking his head to Danta’s announcement. It’s a sharp grin of amusement that’s aimed at Thalassa next when she challenges him to not turn to stone – and such his competitive nature would likely win out on. Maybe, just maybe, he could force himself to stay awake long enough to keep from letting anyone draw on his face.
For now, at least, the thought of prancing in the snow came with both excitement and also a touch of apprehension. At least he would have the fire around his horns to offer warmth, and when the agreement is made from them all the butcher sighs. “Yes, yes, hold in the laughter.” The butcher drawls, though the way his smile twists is affectionate.
Leaning in to steal a chaste and gentle kiss from the Maverick, the butcher pulls away to lead the way – exchanging his human shape for that of the sleek black deer, antlers aflame and glittering with the movement as he takes a few steps in the snow. His tail flicks once, then twice, and he steps with a bit more of a bounce as he dives into the forest, kicking up a bit of snow behind him.
"We'll do our best," Danta chimes, of holding in their laughter, the Maverick baring his teeth in a fanged grin and giving Asta a gentle squeeze as if to assure him that they won't poke (too much) fun, and neither will they let him freeze into stone out in the snow. He turns his head just in time for the kiss to land against his lips, leaving him smiling at the butcher's back - and his fluffy deer tail, consequently, once he shifts.
"The hunt is on," he purrs, offering a roguish little bow to Thalassa before he's also on the move, exchanging skin for dark feathers and taking silently to the branches overhead. Built for these kinds of short flights and hopping between trees, Danta's beady eyes are trained for any sight of the wolves as Asta goes prancing bounding off into the snow.
And he doesn't see anything, not yet - but he does hear the mournful cry of the pack soon enough, as if they're trying to spook Asta into a certain direction.
Dantalion
is just carvin' through the dark
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Danta steals the words from her mouth and Thal winks his way, fairly certain she won't be trying that hard, especially when Asta shifts and prances into the forest, his fluffy tail bobbing adorably behind. Her grin is unmistakably similar to that of a sibling already planning their teasing jibes for later, sharp and glittering with mischievous laughter.
Rolling her shoulders, Thal doesn't waste any time shifting. Black and silver striped fur broken by molten lava emerge from the magic beneath her skin, horns shrinking into her skull to make way for pert ears and a damp nose that are already searching for signs of their meal. Unlike last time Asta had seen her molten tiger form, there's nothing passive or dragging about how she slips into the shadowed undergrove. Her paws are silent over the snow, only the glow of fire and the occasional sound of sizzling giving her position away in the darkness, a deadly warning for the wolves she scents nearby.
Thal searches the trees, her piercing blue eyes only flitting to Asta and Danta to make sure they haven't gotten separated in their search. Otherwise, she stays aware of every sight and sound, eager to find their meal, to greet them with violence and dine on their flesh when they dare to attack the feirw.
Bite my tongue, bide my time Wearing a warning sign
if you could find your way inside you'd have to find a way to stay alive
Ignoring any laughter at the expense of his fuzzy ass, the butcher appears relatively bouncy as he begins to embark in the snowy woodlands before them. Sure that he could handle it if everyone else wasn’t around, he fights through the lingering weariness in his bones as he curves a bit, ears perking much like an animal of prey might – in order to sell the point – the butcher hears the mournful cry of the pack and pulls away from it.
The flames sparking from his antlers flare with light as he bounds away, prancing through the snow and leaving dual toed hoofprints behind, slowing down to lower his head and listening to hear for any sounds of the wolves encroaching on his space, unsure if whether or not they would strike just yet.
