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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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He had chosen the place where they had held their last spa day. It seemed a good location for discussing Torchline's business, whether or not pink mud was involved. The King of that region lounged, partially reclined along a curving couch of rock that left him submerged to mid-chest in the comfortably hot water. His tail was partially curled beneath him and his primary token of clothing was a cobalt hip wrap that would have covered him to mid-thigh for when he needed to come into possession of legs. Otherwise he was bare armed but for his jewelry and bare chested as was his usual state when the weather allowed.
The pedestal of rock which had previously held their spa supplies was currently hosting a picnic basket beside him. A corner of a red silk napkin hung over the edge, setting off the bright purple of a bunch of grapes that peeked out, along with a whiff of quiche. Hadama had a small plate of those floating near at hand: bite sized morsels of sweet dough and egg and cheese, some with bacon or mushrooms or spinach folded into their centers.
He waited with all outward patience, countenance serene as he meditated on the steam and the secrets it hid, but his senses were sharpened for any sound or sight of his co-ruler's arrival.
Flora's arrival is marked by a flutter of energy, the vibrant air she carries around her slightly disheveled. Her hair is tousled, more wild and free than styled, cascading around her shoulders and catching the faint light that filters down into the cave. She’s clad in a bikini that's as flamboyant as it is functional, adorned with floral patterns that seem to dance with life against her skin. A sheer wrap flutters around her waist, adding a touch of whimsy to her attire.
With a playful grin that doesn't quite reach the usual spark in her eyes—an alert observer might notice a subtle shadow there, a hint of something amiss—she saunters over to the edge of the water. She gives Hadama a theatrically exaggerated wave before loosening the knot of her wrap and letting it slip from her waist to pool at her feet.
"Hey there, your Highness," she calls out, her voice carrying a lilting, melodious tone as she kicks off her shoes and eyes the basket of goodies at the Tidebreaker's side. "Dare I guess what you've brought? More spa treatments, I hope."
Flora's arrival was difficult to miss. The bikini alone was a vibrant splash of color in the steamy cavern, but her bright, musical voice was what drew Hadama's attention. He raised a languid hand in greeting, though he didn't otherwise move from his relaxed position. "Flora," he rumbled, gesturing to the basket. "Welcome. I have brought spa treatments for our tastebuds, today."
The King was outwardly relaxed, but there was a weariness in his own eyes, and a weight that pressed down upon his shoulders. It had begun with Seren's funeral and had not lightened since. Still, he bore up under it with quiet resolution as he found the ghost of a tired smile for the woman who had joined him at the edge of the water. No matter what else she had been through, he was still glad to see her returned home in outwardly good health. "What did you choose for our drinks?" Difficult, for either of them to properly pair their offerings when they hadn't communicated on the details, but he was not feeling particularly picky about the aperitif.
Flora's smile takes on a cooler shade, her head tipping slightly to the side. "I was thinking we could have someRosé," she replies crisply. Her tone is light, almost teasing, but there's little doubt about what her choice of drink is meant to convey. Flora might be infected, but she isn't stupid.
With a small, almost imperceptible tut, Flora folds her arms across her chest and meets Hadama's gaze squarely, her expression firming. "Look, I know Sohalia sent you my letter," she begins, her voice dropping to a more serious, intimate register. "But nothing even happened in Stormbreak. Dahlia couldn't make the time to see me so I just hung around the city for a while and then came back."
Glancing at the basket again, the queen tilts her head. "So if there's a rose in there, and you're thinking that you're doing what I asked, there's no need. All you'd be doing is wasting a chance to heal someone who actually needs it, or use it on Starfall."
A steely brow rose slowly at the shift in tone but Hadama said nothing as he waited for her to continue. He was patient and had no need to respond when Flora was not yet done speaking, and the smile faded from his expression until not even the memory of it remained. Solemnity was a more common expression on him anyways, and he returned to it without conscious thought.
Though the mention of Sohalia - ah. That was unwelcome news, and he inclined his head slowly in acknowledgment that the letter had been received. There was no point in denying it. Though her recounting of what had happened in Stormbreak...
He considered her thoughtfully before letting out a soft exhalation that might have been a sigh. "Flora. I am honored that you asked it of me. But did you truly think that I would chose a single person over the good of Torchline? Of all of Caido?" He allowed his expression to slip, some of the true weariness he felt showing through, if briefly, as he closed his eyes, seeking strength from within after the quiet outburst, subdued though it had been. His voice grew lower, softer, so that she might have trouble hearing it from the distance she kept between them. "You should not have put me in that position."
When he looked at her again it was with quiet resolution once more, though perhaps there was resignation in his emerald eyes as well. "May we discuss the weapon for our next quest from Safrin?" If the spa day was no longer viable, then he would at least wring what business he could from the meeting.
Flora maintains her composure under Hadama's solemn gaze, the air between them thick with unspoken thoughts and the heavy weight of what has and hasn't been asked. Her eyes briefly flit across his face, catching the subtle changes in his expression—the weariness and the quiet resignation that flicker beneath his regal demeanor.
"Of course," she replies smoothly, her voice holding a note of practiced understanding, though her mind races with thoughts of what might be hidden in the picnic basket. "I never meant to burden you, Hadama, that was totally my bad."
She gestures towards the basket with a casual flick of her wrist, her gaze sharpening slightly. "Lets see what's inside." Her eyes met Hadama's with a blend of friendship and the unspoken challenge. Surely he wouldn't be so foolish as to submerge a delicate flower in the steaming hot waters of Frey's breath, so the only other place the rose could be was hidden inside the basket placed so curiously close to the Tidebreaker.
"Show me there's no rose and we can chit-chat about anything you like, babe."
Totally my bad did not quite cover what she had done, but it was a start. Hadama inclined his head in acknowledgment (if not acceptance) of her words. Apology? Hmm. He was uncertain, but she did not give him much time to linger over his contemplation of it.
Because she was very focused on the basket. And he sighed softly, a very tired man, as he sat up and reached for it. "As you wish." He opened one half of the picnic basket's lid, pulling out the grapes first. A second floating plate followed with slow deliberation. And then the quiches. Each item was set carefully on the slick rock with patient forbearance until only the rumpled red silk napkin remained. He reached in to withdraw it, his large hand momentarily masking the interior of the basket.
And then the mermanta disappeared in a glow of moonlight.
And reappeared - not behind Flora - but instead hidden in the water below where she stood, one hand reaching up with swift precision to try and press the thorned flower into her calf and pull her down into the hot springs with him.
Magic: Time Dilation (FEAT) | Twice per combat (e.g. KQs, PQ+s, PVP) Hadama may use two actions in one turn.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
Magic: Moon Warp: Can teleport anywhere within an adjacent region with 1 other human-sized living thing.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Vi's Roses (rare): A beautiful crimson flower with thorns of deep gold, it is rumoured that these roses are coloured with Vi's lifeblood. When planted, they have the ability to cleanse the area around them.
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Upgraded
Lucky Ring | A ring that when worn grants +5 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted.
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +13 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Flora's eyes narrowed; Hadama's leisurely pace was characteristic, yet it hinted at the subterfuge she was almost certain awaited her. She thought herself clever, having hidden her compass within the padding of her bikini top—a slight bulge that she doubted Hadama would openly scrutinize given where his eyes would have to focus to do so.
Yet, what her cunning hadn't accounted for was Hadama's capacity for short-distance teleportation. Before she could even reach for her invisibility ring or trigger her escape plan by slapping her own boob, Hadama's hand shot out from the water, the sharp point of a rose in his large palm piercing her calf. The pain was sharp, a bright lance through her leg, but it paled in comparison to the sudden rush of sensations that followed.
As the rose's thorn sank into her flesh, a cascade of vivid colours burst behind her eyes, the oppressive violet haze that had clouded her thoughts shattering like glass. A deep, visceral relief washed over her, as intense and real as the steam from Frey's Breath around her. It was as if a heavy veil had been lifted, the world coming into focus with a clarity that was almost overwhelming.
Breathing heavily, Flora steadied herself, the immediate area around the wound throbbing painfully yet strangely alive. She looked up at Hadama, her expression one of mixed shock and gratitude. "Hadama," she breathed out, her voice steadier than she felt. "...ohmygodsthankyou."
Without even thinking about it, Flora let herself fall forward into the water, sending a cascade of water erupting out from where she splashed in only so that she could wrap her arms tightly around the Tidebreaker's shoulders. "Please don't be too mad at me," she whispered against the strong cords of his neck. "I know what I did was crazy, but...but it worked, right?" Pulling back enough to search his face, the queen pulled in an unsteady breath. "Spice gave you the vial?"
He had considered and discarded a great many plans over the course of the past several days. Had practiced certain skills, gained from his quest for Safrin. Had planned an elaborate ruse that involved a magicless magic trick.
But in the end it all came down to speed and luck.
He could not put into words the relief that flooded through him when he felt his hand - and, more importantly, the Rose it held - strike flesh. Thorns pressed deep into his palm as well as Flora's calf but he did not flinch from the pain. It was a small price to pay for the success of his surprise attack, and he released the Rose to catch the young woman who fell into his arms.
Now he could breathe freely, pulling Flora into an embrace that was both gentle and firm. "I have it," he confirmed, knowing the vial was what she needed to know about first. "But Flora. I am furious with you." He did not sound angry. His voice was deep and quiet. But there was a roughness in it that spoke of emotion that was so rarely acknowledged, much less revealed. "I have never wanted to shake someone before now. If you had been a little faster--" Or if he had been a little slower. Or if she had chosen not to reply to his invitation. Or if she had brought a member of the Family with her--
Gods. He was going to cover a shrine to Safrin in diamonds for the success of this day.
Flora's laughter bubbles up, bright and unrestrained, filling the steamy air of Frey's Breath as she clings to Hadama. Her embrace tightens, a physical manifestation of her relief and returning vibrancy, her entire being practically radiating with the joy of her liberation. "Don't be furious. You'll give yourself wrinkles," she teases, her voice tinged with mirth and affection as she gives him an extra firm squeeze, dismissing the seriousness of his words with the ease of someone who has just had a great weight lifted from her shoulders. "You can shake me all you like, Hadama. That, I probably do deserve," she adds, her grin palpable in her tone.
Pulling back just enough to meet his gaze, her hands remain looped around his neck, her fingers lightly tracing the lines of his muscles. Her eyes sparkle with the mischievous light that had been dimmed during her infection but has returned tenfold. "But Hadama, we did it. We can finally protect Torchline properly. Maybe not from Vox, but from Dahlia, Dorian, Pierce—none of them can just waltz onto our shores now." In Flora's mind, if not in anyone else's, that was well worth the risk and the years shaved off of Hadama's life for having to cure her.
"Mmh. And you are the cause of those wrinkles." But the fierce gentleness of his embrace began to relax as he let his success sink in. This was the true Flora, no mere subterfuge by an agent of the Void. It had taken a Rose, precious beyond cost give or take 3000mp, and had stolen his faith in the Luminary, but the potential benefit--
"If I had failed in curing you, it would not have been worth it," he rumbled, allowing her to pull back so that his arms slid to wrap around her ribs. In spite of her exuberance and his own relief - so powerful he was quietly drunk off it - his expression was solemn. "And it was a risk, that I would not take that Rose to Starfall. That I would choose you over the greater good of our world." He could not shake her while he was hugging her, but the gentle brush of her fingers over tense muscles did start to relax them in spite of Hadama's intentions to the contrary.
He finally released a sigh of defeat in the unrelenting onslaught of her giddy joy and his own complicated emotions, fueled by no little adrenaline that still rushed through his veins. "But yes. You did it." It was a concession he gave with warmth slowly thawing the fear and silent wounds in his gaze. "And Torchline owes you a great debt for it."
"You weren't going to fail," the queen protests adoringly. "You've not failed me yet, and I doubt if you'd pick now to start." Her hands slide from his shoulders to grasp his arms lightly, grounding her words with an affectionate squeeze. "I knew what I was asking of you, and I am sorry I couldn't run it by you first. But I wouldn't have if I didn't believe it was our best shot."
As for the Tidebreaker choosing Starfall over saving her? Flora weighs the possibility only briefly, before shrugging helplessly in his arms. "Well, that would have been your choice, though...infected or not, I would still have been queen and you would've had one hell of a fight on your hands trying to kick me out, so.." Grinning despite the seriousness of his words, Flora forces herself to relax more fully away from the Tidebreaker, even if it does involve sinking several feet back into the way thanks to the difference in their heights.
"Torchline doesn't owe me anything." Gazing up at her co-ruler, the queen gives her head a soft shake. "It's the same as what you and Deimos and the rest of the demigods are doing." Risky in a different way, and only mildly more foolish; at least in Flora's oh so humble opinion.
Hadama was not so certain of his infallibility. It had seemed all too narrow a margin between victory and defeat from where he swam, but there was a certain strength to be found in his friend's belief in him. Her utter certainty was both a burden and a balm, and he gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment of her apology. That much, at least, was now genuine, and he was better able to consider accepting it.
Maybe not today. But... someday.
"I would not have enjoyed it. But there are few who would have supported you remaining as Queen once your infection was known." Even her fathers might have stepped in to help remove her from power, at least until she was cured. "But I am glad it did not come to that." He relaxed his hold and shifted in the water, his tail curving under him as they righted themselves and began to disentangle from their embrace.
Her next words disarmed him, however. For all that he knew how much she loved Torchline it was still good to hear it from time to time. His gaze softened and he bent down to rest his forehead atop her crown of damp curls for a slow double heartbeat before straightening again. "Hmm. So I can wish to shake you and I can also be proud of you at the same time." There was warmth in his voice equal to the exasperation there, and he pulled her back into a final brief hug.
He released her at last, pulling back far enough that he could contemplate his co-ruler with his habitual calm slowly returning. "And what part of this undertaking do you want your fathers to know about?" For he would have to speak to Ronin eventually. Sooner rather than later, on Safrin's business. And he had his own personal reasons to seek out Remi.
