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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 killed a man there, and i cried but the rain masked the hurt behind your face
“Worried? Gods no. Consider it a perk.” He can’t help the slight smirk that blooms on his face when it leaves him. And as he watches Niki sip from his cup of coffee and hear the answer of the Barrows Keeper, his smile twists a bit more warm. “I’m sure you would.” He agrees softly, hoping that it’s only yet another boon for Niki to find a home here, not that he’s trying to get attached, but his face is a welcome relief amongst his usual day to day bullshit.
Still, it doesn’t seem to deter him as the deflation occurs, Sunjata’s smile is still hidden behind his cup as he goes to take a sip of it. He swallows it down and lowers the cup as the not-really-a-jest continues. “New Haven is pretty new. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the empty buildings around here.” He nods toward the window for the rest of the courtyard and the buildings beyond it, even if they were hidden halfway by the intense downpour.
“And honestly? I’m more than happy to help renovate something for someone to be more comfortable here. It’s kinda my job, isn’t it?” It’s why he’s making that lazy river. It’s why Colt’s argument had hurt so much. And it’s that memory that has him taking another sip from his coffee and hides the way his smile twitches toward a frown again.
by the way, dear, we're alive and it hurts 'cause we survived it
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"A perk?" Niki laughs at that, the sound unexpectedly boyish. A perk for whom? he almost asks, before deciding he'd rather not know in truth. He only knows a few instances where it might be a good thing to know someone with connections to bones and dead bodies, and his magic is one of them. And so instead he settles in to listen about the pros of New Haven and its (you guessed it) newness, the necromancer conceding the point with a gentle nod.
"Mm, I did notice a few," he agrees, though he doesn't follow Sunjata's gaze out into the rainy courtyard. Maybe part of him prefers the illusion of the Heartless taking a particular interest in his (potential) future home and workspace, even if - as he rightly points out - it's sort of his job to make people's lives better. "Alright, fine," he says, forcing his tone to be playfully agreeable, "a non-magical workshop might not be the headquarters of the Gilded Market, but it is a selling point. I will hold you to it, if I move."
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
you killed a man there, and i cried but the rain masked the hurt behind your face
“A perk.” Sunjata confirms, and no, does not elaborate – partially due to the boyish laugh that leaves the necromancer. It brightens him, and Sunjata’s momentarily distracted by the way the abandoned’s demeanor seems a little less frail in the moment. He’s glad for the next shift in conversation, because it’ll distract him from staring at the other man, choosing to instead look out the window as if he can see the empty buildings in question.
Even the one they’re in is relatively new. A couple of seasons, perhaps? He isn’t entirely sure. But as he swings his attention back to Niki and hides the frown on his face in the cup of coffee he sips from, he brightens with the prospect, finding that small smile bloom on his face again with a promise he intends to keep. It was easier than what Colt had asked for, at least, and it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to manual labor. “I’m happy to be held accountable.” Sunjata hums with a wink over toward him, even if internally he withers a little more with the admission. "Not that I'm trying to sway your opinion more, but it's been really nice having you here." This slips from his lips with honesty, a repeat of what he'd said when Niki mentioned it was his last day previously, but this time there's more of himself in it than the hope of getting the other man to choose to move here permanently.
by the way, dear, we're alive and it hurts 'cause we survived it
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"I should hope so - accountability is a large part of leadership, or so I have heard," Niki says, raising his cup in a semi-toast to Sunjata and their (sort of) plans for the future. And though he doesn't doubt the honesty in the other man's voice, his remarks do have the necromancer tilting his head, unashamedly curious. "Not that I do not appreciate it, but this is only our second meeting since I got here," he points out.
Well, and the rodeo as well he supposes, but Niki hadn't gotten the chance to speak to Sunjata properly back then. He'd heard he was the hydra that the Maverick had ended up riding - and that had been interesting enough to learn all by itself - but it's hardly the same as holding a real conversation. "Still," he continues, a little more warmly, "I will agree that both meetings have been nice. And you look a bit more like yourself now, if you do not mind my saying."
Compared to the morose, ashen figure slumped in the courtyard, he means.
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
you killed a man there, and i cried but the rain masked the hurt behind your face
He cheers to the semi toast, even if he feels the sentiment sink like a stone in his gut with the rest of everything that’s happened. Downing the bit of coffee and hoping it does something to draw more life into him to keep him on the trajectory that Niki’s conversation has, the smile that blooms on his face is one that’s soft and crooked. “That’s fair.” Sunjata murmurs softly, shrugging a tattooed shoulder before he settles back slightly.
But as he continues and says that the meetings have been nice – he’s at least grateful he’s fixed the blunders he’d done before, his head angling slightly as he regards the necromancer again. “I feel a little more like myself now, so I’ll take the compliment.” It’s a lie, he felt like himself the whole time, because Sunjata was nothing if not familiar with hopelessness.
“The coffee really helps.” He tacks on with a soft laugh, a sparkle amongst the previous dourness. "And the rain. We needed it."
by the way, dear, we're alive and it hurts 'cause we survived it
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"I am honoured," Niki says with dry amusement, as if Sunjata accepting his compliment is the highlight of his day. Glancing towards the steady drum of rainfall outside as the other man mentions it, he nods and sips absently at his coffee. "Mm, hopefully this will be the last of any wildfires," he agrees. "Not just here, but across Caido. I wonder if the Greatwood will be flooded again by the time I return."
One of these days, he envisions coming home to find his basement entirely submerged and his house on the verge of floating away. Not as terrifying a concept now he's thinking of moving regions, but still not ideal. "Speaking of which, I suppose I ought to finish getting ready. My skyship will be leaving later today."
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
you killed a man there, and i cried but the rain masked the hurt behind your face
“You should be.” Sunjata hums with equally dry amusement, his head tilting slightly as he glances back toward the window where the rain continues to pour and drum outside like the most boring metronome. “Hopefully.” He tacks on at the mention of the wildfires, already silently revisiting the carcass of what was left to Colt’s house. “Hopefully the Greatwood isn’t flooded.” He tilts to look back at Niki, an understanding expression in his gaze.
He was familiar enough with flooding, from growing up in a place it constantly seemed to do it, to then be met with the strong monsoons of Torchline time and time again, Sunjata figures Niki is just as familiar with what to do if he’s experienced it before. He perks up at the realization, though, that he’s kept the necromancer here far longer than he likely expected and so an apologetic slant of a smile makes an appearance on his face. “Of course, yeah.” He pauses. “Thank you for the chatter. Let me help you get back so you aren’t soaked.” He doesn’t really take no for an answer as he downs the rest of his coffee and slips out of his seat, piling everything up for Caly to snag once they’ve left.
Then, letting Niki lead the way, Sunjata makes sure there’s a little catch above them as he walks Niki to the space for him to finish getting ready for the trek back, blissfully dry.
- FIN
by the way, dear, we're alive and it hurts 'cause we survived it
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
