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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!
"Thanks for coming, both of you." Ronin's voice is bright and breezy as he steps out onto the houseboat deck, setting down a pitcher of fruit punch already sweating with condensation, alongside a few glasses for them to help themselves. It's the sweet and lazy drift of late afternoon, the sun low in the sky but still bright and warm, its haze soaking into the parasol the Knight had put up to shade them from the worst of the glare.
Within the Northaven, something citrus and spiced is cooking away quite merrily; Ronin had procured a mahi-mahi that morning from one of the ships coming into port, and though it's the crown of the meal he's making, there has already been plenty to snack on. Indeed, as the Knight returns to take his seat, it's with a bacon wrapped scallop in hand, one he plans to fight both his husband and his children for if they so much as look at it too closely.
"I hope the trip down from Stormbreak wasn't too bad," he continues, glancing across at Mateo. "We heard about the earthquakes. Be careful, yeah?"
Remi lifts a bottle of gin in one lazy hand, tilting it just enough that the light catches the glass as his brows rise above the rim of his sunglasses, the question wordless and offered to both Mateo and Flora alike before he sets it within easy reach of the pitcher, should either of them decide the afternoon might benefit from a sharper edge. Settled back into one of the deck chairs, chambray shirt hanging open thanks to the heat, he's entirely content to let Ronin preside over the cooking.
At Ronin’s mention of Stormbreak, his attention shifts toward Mateo, the faint crease between his brows betraying the concern beneath the relaxed sprawl. He nods once, slow and deliberate, his accent softening his words as he adds his own agreement to Ronin’s caution. "If you need anything at all, we are only a letter or a channel away."t.
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
Mateo, naturally, opts to pour himself a glass of punch and spike it with a little of the gin, grinning brightly to his fathers over a pair of pink sunglasses and raising his drink in a toast, before settling back in his own deckchair. He's positioned to be half in the sun and half shaded, allowing him to bask in the light when he leans right back, but otherwise protecting himself from a sunburn. "The trip down was fine," he says, brows furrowing as he pauses to sip at his drink thoughtfully.
"Actually, if I am honest, the Skyport seemed quieter than usual when I left," he continues. "Besides, it is not being in the air that feels dangerous right now. There have been more tremors, but those aren't what really bother me." He'd already explained - with vigor and vitriol - on his arrival that his shop seems to be suffering from a curse or ghosts or something of that nature, because his plants are continuing to ail.
"If this keeps up," he warns Flora, "I may be sneaking back into my room at your house for good. You can have all of your brothers under one roof."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Flora’s smile is easy as she lifts her chin in a small, apologetic tilt, breezily saying that Enzo says he is sorry he cannot be here, but that he is not feeling well and insisted she pass that along with his love. The explanation is delivered with a shrug before Flora slouches into the chair opposite Mateo with a contented little exhale.
She accepts the unspoken suggestion of gin with a grin, adding a finger’s worth to her glass before topping it up with punch, before she shifts to sit fully in the sun, black bikini top and denim shorts doing very little to guard against it. One leg hooks lazily over the other, her feet coming to rest against the railing, toes pointed out over the water.
At Mateo’s mention of his shop and Stormbreak, she turns her head toward him and nods, concern knitting briefly between her brows. "Soh messaged me about it," she says, a faint frown pulling at her mouth. "No one knows what is causing it yet, which I realise is not especially comforting."
The seriousness lasts all of a breath before she brightens immediately at his warning, lifting her glass in mock surrender as her voice stretches into exaggerated dismay. "Ohhh nooooo," Flora drawls immediately, stretching the words with theatrical despair as she lifts her glass in mock surrender, eyes sparkling despite herself. "Mateo under my roof again, taking care of my plants and playing bartender, whatever will I doooo." Not to mention that their combined wardrobe would be back in all one place again.
The rumors are terrible and cruel But honey, most of them are true
A broad shadow passes lazily across the sand, soft-edged and slow-moving, despite the absence of clouds overhead. Looking up reveals the source: a single Cloud Manta drifting through the air above, its vast, translucent body undulating as though swimming through an invisible sea.
It moves with an almost playful ease, banking gently as it catches unseen currents, its long fins trailing wisps of vapour behind them. Every so often it dips lower, close enough that the air stirs faintly beneath it, before rising again in a wide, looping arc. There is no urgency to its movements, only a quiet curiosity, as though it is enjoying the simple act of being seen.
After a time, the Cloud Manta begins to climb, its pale form thinning against the sky until it becomes little more than a suggestion of motion. Whether it lingers overhead or drifts on beyond sight is impossible to say, its presence as fleeting and gentle as a passing breeze.
Cloud Manta
Areas Found: Torchline, Maria Mundi — Common
These plantimals have flattened, ray-like bodies, narrow, delicate heads with two large dark eyes, and flowing-finned or leaf-like tails similar to bettas. They are equally comfortable underwater and flying through the air. Large green splotches across the upper surface of their bodies are filled with chlorophyll and photosynthesize both food and oxygen. They also make meals of mosses and lichens. As they age a colorful crystal grows in the middle of their foreheads, comprised of excess minerals that they purify out of their bodies. If worn pressed against the throat these crystals are rumoured to allow someone to breathe underwater.
Breathstone: a harvested forehead crystal worn against the throat may allow underwater breathing; Oxygen Bloom: in bright light they enrich nearby water/air with extra oxygen, easing exertion for companions; Buoyant Escort: can support a small creature beneath their fins, aiding calm passage across waves
TRAITS
Amphibious Drift: equally comfortable underwater and in open air; Photosynthetic Patches: chlorophyll-rich splotches produce food and oxygen in sunlight; Silent Glide: broad fins move with near-silent grace through water and sky; Moss & Lichen Grazer: gentle feeders that favour simple flora over live prey; Crystal Growth: a mineral crystal slowly forms at the forehead as impurities are purged
ACTIONS
Updraft Sweep: fans fins to raise a soft updraft or current, nudging companions and clearing mist; Shade Veil: spreads fins to cast a cool, drifting shade over travellers beneath; Mineral Purge: releases trace minerals that encourage reef growth and subtly purify the surrounding water
Having quickly disposed of the scallop (yes, by shoving it in his mouth), Ronin's brows draw into a slow frown as further details about Stormbreak come to light, and he sighs and exchanges a brief glance with Remi. "If it gets any worse that might not be such a bad idea," he tells Mateo slowly, wiping his hands on a napkin before reaching for a glass to fill with punch. "Even if it's just until you know what's causing it."
It isn't remotely visible from this angle, but the Knight still peers around the parasol as if he might catch a chunk of Stormbreak shearing off without warning. Letting out a slow sigh, he ducks back into the shade and forces himself to relax. "You still have a place for the Sugartide to moor, right?" he adds with a smirk for Flora. "One more little berth for La Verbena should be fine."
Still, something Mateo had said - about Flora having all her brothers under one roof - catches in his mind, and he gazes again at Remi with a soft smile.
Remi’s gaze lingers on the empty space where the bacon-wrapped scallop had been, his sunglasses tipping just enough to allow a slow, profoundly judgmental look in Ronin’s direction before he lets it go with the faintest twitch of a smile. His attention shifts instead to their children, expression softening as it always does, and while he knows better than to offer his opinion on Mateo’s possible return to Torchline, he nods once in quiet agreement with Ronin’s words.
When a shadow drifts across the deck, he tilts his head back to follow it, eyes tracking the cloud manta as it glides overhead. Only when Ronin mentions Flora having all of her brothers under one roof does the thought finally catch, and with it comes a small, unmistakable flutter of nervous excitement that hums through the bond before Remi can quite stop it.
He clears his throat, deliberately casual, and reaches for his own glass, adding a splash of gin to the punch before taking a measured sip. "So...," he says, aiming for easy and conversational even as his fingers curl a little tighter around the glass, "there was something Ronin and I were hoping to talk to you about."
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
Having also tilted his head up to watch the cloud manta pass by, Mateo can't help the way his smile softens to see it; other than in the Celestine, the chances of spotting such things up at Stormbreak's heights are little to none, and he lets the sun soak into his skin and the liquor into his bones. "It will not be just your plants if I return," he says, half warning and half promise to Flora with a grin as his chair tips forward again. "I will need to bring all of the plants that still have a chance from my shop, not to mention everything from my lab." Those being the particularly walky, bitey plants, Flora.
Still, it's a cheerful enough prospect now that he's already visited for an extended period once. And he's even out here having dinner with his parents now, which was thoroughly unthinkable even last year. His drink is at his lips when Remi speaks again, Mateo's brows rising, and he sits up a fraction in his deckchair. "You are going to gift us both unicorns, finally? Fathers, we could not possibly accept," he gushes, grinning. "Not unless what you have to say is that you also have Enzo's unicorn for Flora to take to him."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Flora lets her head fall back against the chair with an exaggerated roll of her eyes at the mention of more plants, the gesture dramatic enough to sell annoyance even as the corners of her mouth betray her. Not only did Wildering House have more than enough space, but she quite enjoyed having greenery around even if she didn't share Mateo's green thumb.
At the warning about the walky, bitey ones, she angles her head toward him, expression thoughtful for half a second before she lifts her glass again. "You will have to convince the spirits not to bite them back," Flora adds, entirely unbothered, as if inter-plant warfare is just another household consideration. "They can be territorial, and I refuse to referee a feud between haunted architecture and carnivorous shrubbery. That's all on you."
Then she catches the note of mischief in Mateo’s voice, twists in her chair to look at Remi properly. "Yeah," she says brightly, drawing the word out as she grins, "I've been asking for a pony for yeeeears now. Honestly, it is about time you two stepped up."
The rumors are terrible and cruel But honey, most of them are true
The nervous excitement is a livewire between them even without need for the Attuned bond, and Ronin takes a bigger sip from his drink than intended in an attempt to keep his throat from growing too dry. All of this, he thinks suddenly - is it worth potentially ruining it? Having their children here with them, on a sunny deck at late afternoon, eating and drinking and laughing together?
The Knight ploughs forward before his nerves give out. "If you want a pony that badly I can make a little saddle and a horn for Sugar - and for Spice too," he suggests, a little too lightly to be convincing any more, even for Ronin's endless well of charm. "Only Oria will be able to ride them, but..." He shrugs.
Then, on the tail end of what Remi has said, he takes a deep breath and lets it out again, dragging courage from the depths of himself. "We were considering," he begins slowly, "and it's just a consideration right now... well, what if you were both older siblings to a new member of the family again?"
Remi lets out a soft, nervous chuckle at the easy back-and-forth between Mateo and Flora, if only because he can feel his own second-guessing starting to climb up the back of his throat, a familiar, unwelcome pressure that he does his best to keep from showing. It is easier to laugh than to linger there, and he takes the brief levity for what it is before Ronin’s tone shifts, before the shape of the conversation changes in a way that makes the air feel suddenly thinner.
As Ronin opens the door, Remi straightens in his chair, clearing his throat as he sits up properly, the movement small but deliberate, an instinctive effort to be present and supportive. He looks between Flora and Mateo, earnest and unguarded now, sunglasses pushed up enough that his eyes are plainly visible. "I know we've failed you," he says quietly, the words chosen with care rather than hesitation. "Both of you. More than once when you were growing up." Even as adults, but its the wounds created when both Flora and Mateo were young that have rooted deep. "Nothing can change that now, but I want you both to know that we've never forgotten it." That particular guilt, those failures, while hopefully learned from, were crosses that neither Bastion nor Knight would ever set down.
He pauses, swallowing, fingers tightening briefly around his glass before relaxing again. "We always wanted a large family," Remi continues, voice steadying as he goes on. "But not at the expense of the one we already have."
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
"That is fine," Mateo is already firing back at Flora, "my plants can also be territorial. Though I would say the most dangerous outcome is that the spirits start to work with them, so perhaps they really ought to be separated. I could make a greenhouse...?" He's still thinking about it, sipping thoughtfully at his drink, when his parents get that look and everything in the botanist hones in on what, he's certain, is about to be Some Bullshit at their expense.
And y'know, he's both right and he isn't when they come out with it, Mateo gazing first at Ronin as he loads the cannon and then at Remi as he pulls the cord to loose the shot, his gaze lingering, in the end, on the Bastion. He's incredulous at first, chin tipping up and posture stiffening as old hurts are not only addressed, but fumbled out into the open, as if full ownership and an apology will make them right.
Yet he can't find it in him, strangely, to conjure the fury that once burned so easily in his blood. Instead, swallowing a little hard but not outright laughing it off or telling them to stop being ridiculous, Mateo sets down his drink and narrows his eyes. The expression has the gall to be just a little playful. "Is this because Isla is pregnant?" he blurts. "Are you feeling broody and jealous?"
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Flora snorts softly and flashes Mateo a grin, twisting in her chair just enough to bounce her eyebrows at him. "We could make a greenhouse," she says brightly, emphasis deliberate and entirely smug.
And then Ronin and Remi start speaking, and the words land in a way that is so wildly unexpected that Flora cannot even pretend to process them politely. She laughs outright, a sharp, incredulous burst that escapes her before she can catch it, shoulders shaking once as if the absurdity of it all has short-circuited her usual instincts. She turns sharply toward Mateo mid-laugh, eyes widening. "What?" The word punches out of her as her mouth falls open in exaggerated disbelief. "Isla is pregnant?" Her gaze flicks somewhere distant for half a heartbeat as she mutters under her breath, "good for Ever," before she drags herself back into the moment.
Whatever softness might have followed is immediately packed away again, her expression snapping into something theatrically biting as she looks back at Mateo, clearly clocking the way he is holding himself. "Well?" Flora presses. "Is that why?"
The rumors are terrible and cruel But honey, most of them are true
Ronin's lips part to respond as the expected barbs surface, primed and aimed for them. Only, when they fire, it's under a completely different context to the one the Knight has been mentally preparing for, and his mouth falls open completely. There's a beat or two of open silence reserved for Mateo and Flora congratulating their friends' pregnancy, and then finally Ronin finds his voice again.
"No," he says immediately, a little sharply, before clearing his throat. "No," he repeats, a little steadier this time, and he glances to Remi with a small smile. "We found out about it of course, and it's what opened that conversation back up. But by no means is it because of that," he says.
"We've had that conversation and backed away from it so many times. And we'll do it again now, if you aren't comfortable. You are more important than an idea."
