Comment on Sneaky little rat by MirroredKnight
Yes, the high priest Nikolai's inner monologue refers to is a member of the Slavic Circle - Mysto's cult. Yes, Nikolai plans to get Leila completely alone, knock her out, and deliver her to said high priest so that he can kill her. Nikolai's doing this in an effort to restore the "honor" of his family, which had been one of the more prominent spellcasting clans during the glory days of Slavic paganism before the Catholics came and messed everything up. The Velenovas suppressed their powers and converted to Catholicism in order to avoid being killed by Altair and others like him (unlike the Majoras, Mysto's family, who refused to convert and went into hiding instead). Nikolai is the first Velenova in 10 generations to have magical powers, and he fell under the influence of Mysto's cult while trying to learn the significance of his abilities. The high priest of the local branch of the Slavic Circle has convinced Nikolai to help Mysto achieve her dream of the eradication of the Catholic Church... and Nikolai has been tasked with finding one of the Belnades children, earning their trust, then catching them in a moment of weakness, subduing them, and bringing them to the Slavic Circle to be murdered in a ritual sacrifice to Veles to prevent their soul from ever being able to reach their family. Specifically, he is targeting Leila. Nikolai, being an impressionable 12-year-old, will carry these orders out... up to the "subdue and bring them to the Slavic Circle" part. After that, he completely screws everything up, due to unconsciously really, genuinely liking Leila and not wanting her to die.
The events with Nikolai and Leila probably won't be covered in a roleplay, so I'll just spell them out here. Nikolai meets up with Leila on her way home from school one day and offers to escort her. He then guides her past the building where the Slavic Circle has set up their operations, and vanishes from her sight. As Leila looks around, wondering where Nikolai has gone, he casts a wind spell at her that hurls her through the air and causes her to land headfirst on the pavement, knocking her unconscious. Nikolai takes a bit longer than should be necessary to cast the spell - the first sign that he's not as committed to this as he thought he was, which he promptly ignores. Nikolai then drags her into the Slavic Circle building and locks her in a room in the cellar, after which he leaves to fetch the high priest... completely forgetting to relieve Leila of the various self-defense gadgets that Luther designed for her and equipped her with (though he does remember to take her cell phone). While Nikolai's away, Leila wakes up, realizes the danger she's in, picks the lock to the door keeping her imprisoned, and starts to sneak around the catacombs, looking for a way out. Nikolai and the head priest come back shortly afterwards, and the high priest starts yelling at Nikolai for wasting his time on a false captive report. Leila hears the high priest yelling, as well as brief snippets of Nikolai's pleas for mercy, and comes to the false conclusion that Nikolai has also been captured and is about to be tortured by the Slavic Circle (they were in fact going to torture him, but as a punishment for failing to keep Leila captive). So Leila sneaks up on the high priest and shoots him from behind with her taser gun to rescue Nikolai, completely unaware that he's the one who put her in her predicament to begin with. Leila then suggests that they find a way out together. Nikolai, seeing this as a second chance to put Leila at the Slavic Circle's (nonexistent) mercy, accepts and begins leading her towards the cultists, surreptitiously using his magic to alert them all to the situation and gather them all in one place. Nikolai then leads Leila straight into an ambush, getting the two surrounded. Leila starts blasting away at the mooks with her taser gun and using her grapple gun to get up into the rafters to attack from above. Nikolai, pretending to help Leila fight off her attackers, tries to fire blasts of magic at her to knock her unconscious, but subconsciously acts to genuinely protect her, missing her with each and every one of his shots and knocking the cultists unconscious again. As the ambush's numbers thin out, Nikolai slips away to fetch the high priest again and lead him to Leila. However, while Nikolai's away, Leila knocks out the remaining cultists and makes her escape, looking for Nikolai. Nikolai and the high priest arrive shortly after Leila leaves, and the high priest is furious...
High Priest: What the?!? You said you had Leila surrounded by my men!!! Now they're all unconscious!!!!
Nikolai: I didn't expect her to be able to fight them all off this quickly! She's only armed with a taser gun! She has to manually recharge its batteries after firing several shots... it recharges by cranking the handle... I thought she'd be absolutely helpless-
High Priest: You shouldn't even have let her keep that taser gun, or any of her other gadgets, in the first place! Leila Belnades is the daughter of Luther, an expert with technology! As you know, he designed that taser gun, as well as all of Leila's other gadgets, so she could defend herself if under attack! Your job was to earn her trust, knock her out, and bring her here to be locked up and killed at our leisure!
Nikolai: But... I did all that, sir-
High Priest: Without taking away the tools that she could use to defend herself! If you had done your job properly, she never would have gotten out of that cell, and she would currently be screaming in fear and agony as we ended her life and sent her soul to be held captive by Lord Veles, never to cause any trouble for us again! But because you screwed up, she is currently running around our chapel, making all of us look like incompetent idiots!!!
Nikolai: I'm sorry, sir...
High Priest: I never should have trusted you. The Velenovas are washed up has-beens, every last one of them! I thought there was promise in you, since you can actually use magic... but I was wrong. You're every bit as much of a coward and a fool as your ancestors!
Nikolai: Sir, Leila can't have gone very far! We can still catch her!
High Priest: No. I will catch her. You will die here and now!
Nikolai: Sir, no! *dropping to his knees and begging* Please! Give me one more chance...
High Priest: Do svidanya, vybliadok! *The high priest begins to cast a killing spell.* ["Vybliadok" translates to "son of a bitch". Really. I couldn't find the Ukrainian word for "imbecile", which is what I'd have preferred for the high priest to say.]
Nikolai: Please... I won't screw up again... I will find her and bring her to you...
Leila: *overhearing the entire conversation between the high priest and Nikolai* *thinking* ...What?!? No... It can't be... Nikolai's the one who brought me here?!? He planned to betray me from the day we first met...?!? 
No... How could he... Why would he... I... I trusted him!!! I thought he was my friend... Argh! Whatever! He may have betrayed my trust, but I am still not letting him die at the hands of that unholy priest... *Leila turns around, sneaks up on the high priest again, and shoots him in the back with a taser blast, knocking him over and saving Nikolai's life.*
No... How could he... Why would he... I... I trusted him!!! I thought he was my friend... Argh! Whatever! He may have betrayed my trust, but I am still not letting him die at the hands of that unholy priest... *Leila turns around, sneaks up on the high priest again, and shoots him in the back with a taser blast, knocking him over and saving Nikolai's life.*Nikolai: Huh? *Nikolai smiles upon seeing Leila standing in front of him, and hastily gets up and begins to approach her.* Leila! Am I glad to see you! You saved my life... Thanks a bundle! Now, let's get out of here-
Leila: *Leila, glaring angrily at Nikolai, takes a step backwards and points her taser gun directly at him.* You mean "into another deathtrap"?
Nikolai: What- no!
Leila: Oh, then into an ambush?
Nikolai: Leila, what are you talking about?
Leila: Oh, just the conversation I overheard between you and that high priest, you... you... you WRETCHED SCOUNDREL!!!!!!!
Nikolai: What- oh, no... Leila, I can explain-
Leila: No! I have heard enough!!! I met you two months ago, and I tried to be your friend... I thought you were a great companion, one who shared my interests... I knew my parents and cousins wouldn't approve of you, so I agreed to keep our friendship secret... But just last week, I noticed that I was starting to develop a crush on you! A crush, Nikolai!!! I thought we might be more than friends!!! But you were never my friend in the first place... This entire time, you have been plotting my demise!!!!!
Nikolai: Leila-
Leila: I TRUSTED YOU, NIKOLAI!!!!!!! I WAS ACTUALLY FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!!!! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!!!!!!! MY SOULMATE, EVEN!!!!!!!!! I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU WITH MY LIFE!!!!!! AND YOU TOOK MY TRUST, AND YOU BROKE IT TO PIECES!!!!!!
I TRUSTED YOU, NIKOLAI!!!!!!! I WAS ACTUALLY FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!!!! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!!!!!!! MY SOULMATE, EVEN!!!!!!!!! I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU WITH MY LIFE!!!!!! AND YOU TOOK MY TRUST, AND YOU BROKE IT TO PIECES!!!!!!Nikolai: Argh... Fine. Looks like you've seen through my ruse. I'll admit it. I've been trying to orchestrate your death. But... even though you already knew that... why did you save me?
Leila: Because I am not, and never will be, the monster you seem to think each and every Catholic is. I won't leave you to die, even though you tried to kill me.
Nikolai: Leila... *looking ashamed* Argh... You... you really are incredible... and I'm sorry that I tried to hurt you...
Leila: What? Ha! You seem to look guilty... but how do I know that's not an act, too? How can I believe what you say? After what you did to me - no, after what I just learned you've been planning to do to me from the moment I introduced myself to you - I seriously doubt that I will ever be able to trust you again. Oh, I'm still going to try to befriend other Slavs. I'm very fair-minded, and I take pride in that. I will never, ever commit racial profiling on anyone.
Nikolai: *looks like he's about to cry* *thinking* Boss, please, get up...
Leila: 
Cry me a river, jerkface. You're not the first Slav to stab me in the back, Nikolai. Not by a long shot. But you are the first that I considered a close friend - the first that I felt that I could really open up to and trust. And I'm afraid that you might be the last. This experience might just ruin me for ever truly trusting a Slav again. I still can hardly believe what you did... You didn't just break my trust - you broke my heart. Our friendship is over, Nikolai. No, wait... you were never really my friend... You just pretended to be, so that you could get close to me when my guard was down and incapacitate me. And you did exactly that. You locked me up and tried to leave me at the mercy of my enemies... the very enemies I had hoped you'd defend me from, like my father defended my mother before me. God, I was such a fool! I was so desperate for a partner that I allowed a servant of Mysto into my heart!!! If you didn't prove to be utterly incompetent as an accomplice to murder, I would be dead now!!! I would be dead because I made the mistake of thinking that a Slavic magician could be a good person!!! I won't make that mistake again... No, wait, what am I saying? If I let myself think that, I'll become a racist... the very thing I hate... *Leila takes a deep breath to calm herself down.* But from now on, I won't ever allow a Slav to get close enough to stab me in the back. This is the last time I allow my heart to be broken.
Cry me a river, jerkface. You're not the first Slav to stab me in the back, Nikolai. Not by a long shot. But you are the first that I considered a close friend - the first that I felt that I could really open up to and trust. And I'm afraid that you might be the last. This experience might just ruin me for ever truly trusting a Slav again. I still can hardly believe what you did... You didn't just break my trust - you broke my heart. Our friendship is over, Nikolai. No, wait... you were never really my friend... You just pretended to be, so that you could get close to me when my guard was down and incapacitate me. And you did exactly that. You locked me up and tried to leave me at the mercy of my enemies... the very enemies I had hoped you'd defend me from, like my father defended my mother before me. God, I was such a fool! I was so desperate for a partner that I allowed a servant of Mysto into my heart!!! If you didn't prove to be utterly incompetent as an accomplice to murder, I would be dead now!!! I would be dead because I made the mistake of thinking that a Slavic magician could be a good person!!! I won't make that mistake again... No, wait, what am I saying? If I let myself think that, I'll become a racist... the very thing I hate... *Leila takes a deep breath to calm herself down.* But from now on, I won't ever allow a Slav to get close enough to stab me in the back. This is the last time I allow my heart to be broken.Nikolai: 
Leila: Get out of my sight, and return to your pathetic clan. I don't ever want to see you again after this. I won't be able to avoid you completely, since we attend school together. But I will never, ever speak to you again. And I will tell my family about how you pulled a Hans on me. I'll see to it that everyone knows what a cowardly, spineless, untrustworthy worm you are.
Nikolai: Leila, please-
Leila: You had your chance with me, Nikolai. And you utterly blew it. I let you into my life, and you tried to end it.
Nikolai: *thinking* The high priest is almost back on his feet... If I can stall her for just another minute or two... She'll be ours! *out loud* Just answer one more question for me... What did you mean by "pulling a Hans"?
Leila: What? Don't tell me you've never watched Frozen!
Nikolai: Um... no.
Leila: Wow. You don't let yourself out there much, Huh? No wonder these goons were able to manipulate you so easily.
Nikolai: But what does it mean?
Leila: Look it up, dipwad. Go home, and look it up. Read all about Hans, and how much you resemble him. And know that I meant everything I've said to you today. I thought you were my friend... I cared for you... I loved you... I wanted you as my partner... and you threw it all away. I have to go now. My parents are probably worried sick about me... But before I do... *Leila walks up to Nikolai and searches his pockets, pulling out her cell phone.* I'll be taking this back. I'll admit, it was clever of you to stop me from calling for help... I didn't even realize my phone was missing until now, because I was stupid enough to entrust you with my safety! But luckily for me, taking my phone and knocking me out were the only competent things you did today. Either you weren't trying very hard to kill me, or that bastard who I stopped from killing you is completely on the mark regarding your capabilities. Or lack thereof. *Leila notices the high priest starting to get up, and quickly tazes him again.* ...Oh dear. The high priest is coming to, and my taser gun is almost out of juice. I used most of it up stunning that guy long enough to chew you out... Oh, don't tell me you planned this, too!
Nikolai: Eep...
Leila: You were hoping to let me flap my lips at you long enough to get caught, didn't you?
Nikolai: *feebly squeaking* Yes...
Leila: Argh! *Leila slaps Nikolai across the face with all the force she can muster.* You jerk! I have no more time to waste on you! I'd better get out of here. And I recommend you do the same. He was about to kill you, after all. And I don't have the time to save your good-for-nothing hide again. If you want to do something right today... leave these fools behind, and never, ever associate with them again. Goodbye forever, Nikolai. And good riddance. *Leila slaps Nikolai across the face again, then turns and storms off.*
Nikolai: *Nikolai doesn't budge, badly shaken by Leila's words.*
High Priest: *The high priest shakes off the taser and rises to his feet ten seconds after Leila leaves, glaring angrily at Nikolai.* You... idiot!!! You had your one last chance - which I didn't even intend to give you - and you utterly blew it!!!! You allowed that girl to completely humiliate us both!!!
Nikolai: But... She spent so much time ranting at me... She can't be very far! Go now! Catch her and kill her!!!
High Priest: I will... but first, I will do the only thing I can to repair your family's precious honor after you ripped it to shreds. I will kill you.
Nikolai: Sir... please...
High Priest: You have no choice but to accept this, Nikolai. I can't tolerate your stupidity any longer. Did you really think you could deliver Leila to me by letting her yell at you?
Nikolai: It seemed to be working!
Leila: *Leila, overhearing this conversation as well, seriously considers leaving Nikolai to his fate. However, her conscience gets the better of her. She climbs up to the rafters and finds a stone serpent with its head directly above the head priest. She then takes out her laser gun and begins to cut the serpent's head off.*
High Priest: You idiot! That plan might have worked if you had brought me one of Todd or Cassandra's kids, but we are dealing with the daughter of Luther! Luther, the inventor! She is in no way your intellectual equal - she may be naive, but in terms of brainpower, she is leaps and bounds above you!
Nikolai: Sir, please, she had her gun pointed at me! If I tried to hex her, she would have zapped me! There was nothing I could do but let her keep talking!
High Priest: Stop making excuses! All you are doing is admitting that the Belnades brat beat you at your own game! She is a far more capable individual than you could ever hope to be!!!
Nikolai: Erm... Then why do you even want to kill her?
High Priest: Because Lady Mysto demands it!!! As long as even one Belnades remains, the prophecy of Mysto's final defeat and ultimate destruction can still come true! And as long as one Belnades remains, their power will shield the Catholic Church from all attempts Mysto makes to destroy it! Every last one of the Belnades must perish before the extermination of the Abrahamic religions can begin! I entrusted you with a simple task - to find Leila Belnades, exploit her gullibility and willingness to see anyone as a potential friend, earn her trust, and then knock her out and bring her here to die! I never asked you to kill her yourself! I only asked that you leave her at our mercy! And you utterly failed at it!
Nikolai: Y-yes, sir...
High Priest: There is only one way you can restore your family's honor now. I will send you to meet Veles in person. Now lie down, and allow your life to end.
Nikolai: Y-yes, sir... *Nikolai curls up and waits to be killed... and at that moment, Leila severs the serpent's head. It falls directly on the high priest's head, bestowing a massive concussion that leaves him in a coma.* What- *Nikolai stares, amazed, at the motionless body of the high priest and the stone snake head beside him.* I-is this a sign? Lord Veles... Is it your will that I should live?
Y-yes, sir... *Nikolai curls up and waits to be killed... and at that moment, Leila severs the serpent's head. It falls directly on the high priest's head, bestowing a massive concussion that leaves him in a coma.* What- *Nikolai stares, amazed, at the motionless body of the high priest and the stone snake head beside him.* I-is this a sign? Lord Veles... Is it your will that I should live?Leila: NO, YOU IDIOT!!!! IT'S MINE!!!!!!!!!!! *Leila leaps down from the rafters, gracefully rolling to her feet as she lands, and roughly grabs Nikolai's wrists. She then yanks him to his feet and pulls him along behind her.*
Nikolai: What the- Leila?!? You saved me again?!?
Leila: Yes. I should have left you to die - you thoroughly deserved it. But I couldn't do it. My conscience wouldn't let me.
Nikolai: Leila...
Leila: DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO SUCK UP TO ME NOW!!!!! You tried to kill me!!!! And you are going to pay for that!!!!
Nikolai: Ugh... What are you going to do?
Leila: I am going to take you to meet my parents. I will have you held at my house as I explain to my family everything that you have done to me, and let them decide what to do with you. Aha! Here's the exit... *Leila forces Nikolai to lie down, stands on top of him, and removes the block of wood holding the door shut. She then pulls Nikolai back to his feet and leaves the chapel... and immediately encounters her parents, who were in the process of trying to force the door open from the other side.* Huh? Mom! Dad! Am I glad to see you!
Luther: Leila! Where have you been? Your mother and I have been worried sick!
Leila: Oh, just in the hands of my enemies, the Slavic Circle... Considering that you're at the entrance to their chapel, I think you already knew that.
Lindsay: No, we had no idea where you were! But Luther wanted to look here first... I thought you might have been captured by Bowser, but it looks like I was mistaken.
Luther: Called it.
Lindsay: *sigh* Leila, are you all right?
Leila: Yes, Mom, I'm fine. Those guys were tools...
Nikolai: *trying to hide behind Leila*
Luther: Leila? Who's that?
Leila: Hm? *pulls Nikolai in front of her* This is Nikolai Velenova, a Slavic boy who happens to be my classmate. He's also able to use magic.
Lindsay: Huh? Leila... did you try to befriend him?
Leila: Yes. I did. And today, he proved himself just like the others... I do not have the words to express how angry I am at him right now.
Luther & Lindsay: *Luther and Lindsay look at Leila, then at Nikolai (who looks scared out of his mind), then at each other, then back at Leila.*
Leila: Let's get out of here and go home. I don't want to spend another minute in this awful place. I'll tell you everything that happened once we're in a safe place. And then you can decide what to do with this jerk.
Nikolai: *whimper*
So Leila did exactly that. She brought Nikolai home and had him strapped to a chair as she explained everything she and Nikolai had been through to her parents... how she considered him her friend, confidant, partner, and even boyfriend... and how he had knocked her unconscious on her way home today and dragged her into the chapel of the Slavic Circle to be killed by the head priest. She told them about how she broke out and began to escape, only to hear Nikolai in apparent danger and, oblivious to his true colors, came to his rescue. Then she described how Nikolai had led her into an ambush and attempted to sabotage her efforts to fight her way out, and when that failed, fetched the head priest again... followed by how she escaped the ambush, only to overhear the high priest berating Nikolai for his failure, and how she then proceeded to save Nikolai's life, twice, despite the fact that he had utterly betrayed her. Once Leila finished, she left Nikolai's fate up to her parents. To Leila's utter surprise, Luther and Lindsay decided to let Nikolai go with a severe warning, explaining that he was just a young boy who had been misled and that he hadn't actually done any harm. Leila protested that he had broken her trust and her heart, but Luther and Lindsay retorted that it was Leila's fault for letting herself trust and fall for a Slav in the first place. Leila, knowing that it would be pointless to argue further, released Nikolai, but as she did so, she suggested that he pursue a career in acting, since he was at least good at doing that, and then told him that she was going to make his life utter hell for a long, long time. She played pranks on him nonstop (and not garden-variety pranks; we're talking big pranks, the sort that she'd usually pull on Bowser and the League of Villains) for two entire years before her family finally managed to convince her that she'd done enough and really ought to just stay out of Nikolai's life.
That's all of Nikolai's story that will be relevant in the roleplays for a good long while. The events I've described above will all take place between "Sneaky little rat" and the next time-skip roleplay, and so Nikolai's role will be that of the designated Butt Monkey. But there's actually more to the story. Nikolai took Leila's words to heart and restarted his search for a purpose in life. There wasn't a day that went by when he didn't think about what he'd done to her... and how, in spite of it all, she had still saved his life. Twice. Even though he had deserved to die. Filled with regret, Nikolai earnestly attempted to smooth things over and be Leila's friend for real, but she wasn't having any of it. Every time he tried to talk to her, she either ignored him or curtly told him that she wanted nothing more to do with him. The other Belnades also gave Nikolai the cold shoulder, constantly watching him for signs that he was up to no good. The only ones who were willing to associate with him were Dream and Sonja, who, looking into the future, saw that there was indeed good in Nikolai. (Also, in Dream's case, her family's treatment of Nikolai was uncomfortably similar to their treatment of Damien, which caused her to feel sympathy for him.) However, while on his way home on an ordinary day, roughly three years since the fiasco at the Slavic Circle, Nikolai stumbled across Leila being accosted by the Happy Sperm Club. Shine and some of his men had ambushed Leila and managed to get her into a chokehold, and were proceeding to knock her out with chloroform. Nikolai decided to step in and stop them, cast a spell... and was completely taken by surprise as his magic seemed to take on a life of its own, pulverizing the Happy Sperm Club and blowing them away. As soon as the man holding her was taken out, Leila made a run for it, dashing past Nikolai. Nikolai finished the pimps off and then followed Leila, and found her about ten blocks away, on her hands and knees, struggling to stay awake. As Leila heard Nikolai approach, she unsteadily rose to her feet and tried to run away... only to collapse and lose consciousness. Nikolai caught her before she hit the ground, then gently carried her to her house and rang the doorbell. When Luther and Lindsay answered, they were shocked to see Nikolai again - and holding their daughter, no less! However, Nikolai handed Leila over to them, calmly explained to them exactly what had happened, asked them to make sure that Leila would be all right, and then left and headed back to his house. Luther and Lindsay, understandably bewildered, kept a close vigil over Leila until she regained consciousness. Leila was nervous as she awoke, wondering what Nikolai had done to her and how she had made it back home, and Luther and Lindsay explained that Nikolai had brought her to them. Leila, still skeptical and unwilling to trust Nikolai, confronted him at school the next day, cornering him against his locker and demanding to know what had happened and what he had done with her. Nikolai told her the exact same story he had told Luther and Lindsay. Leila accused him of lying, but he swore on his honor that he was telling her the truth. He then squirmed past her and began to leave, but before walking out of sight, turned to face Leila, informed her that he still owed her one more favor, promised to leave her alone once his debt was repaid, thanked her for suggesting that he get into acting, and then wished her luck in whatever she did next. Leila, stunned, was only able to watch him walk away.
Nikolai continued to cross paths with Leila intermittently over the next five years, despite her efforts to avoid him. To her extreme displeasure, she and Nikolai wound up sharing many of the interests, and going to the same college. (Leila and Nikolai are both 20 years old by this point.) Leila began to fear that Nikolai was stalking her in an effort to find an opportunity to kill her. She was right about the first part, but wrong about the second - he was looking for an opportunity to protect her and repay his second favor. He got it on the night of a huge party. Leila, going out with friends, partied well past midnight (though she did not get drunk), and at about 2:30, left for her dorm, exhausted and sleepy. She also wasn't carrying her weapons, as she wouldn't be allowed to on campus and she had no reason to expect any trouble. Nikolai, following at a distance, watched in horror as Leila was ambushed, chased down, and cornered by none other than Bowser Jr., now fully-grown and still out for bloody revenge on Lindsay and Leila for all the pranks they had played on him and his father. Nikolai, following Bowser Jr., found Leila beaten to within an inch of her life, being strangled by one of Bowser Jr.'s claws and still valiantly, but futilely trying to escape. As Bowser Jr. coldly informed Leila that she was about to die, alone, helpless, and broken, Nikolai stepped forward and told him to stop what he was doing immediately. Bowser Jr. ignored Nikolai and proceeded to begin to literally tear Leila apart... at which point Nikolai began casting spells, and surprised himself once again when he conjured up two immense lightning bolts to fry Bowser Jr., followed by a flurry of geysers that launched him up into the air and a swarm of meteors that bombarded him before he could react before he finally hit the ground, barely conscious. Leila, woozy from the beating she had received, was barely able to recognize Nikolai's voice or the outline of his body as he told Bowser Jr. who he was and told him to never bother Leila again. Leila then lost consciousness, unable to comprehend what was happening, as Nikolai approached her. Nikolai picked Leila up, blasted Bowser Jr. away with another geyser, and carried Leila to his dorm, where he took Leila's phone and used it to call Anastasia. Anastasia assumed the worst as she heard Nikolai's voice... until he told her where he was and asked her to help Leila before she perished from the injuries inflicted by "that nasty angry big turtle guy". Anastasia hurried over and healed Leila's injuries, then sat back to keep an eye on Nikolai. Nikolai, still amazed at what he had done (and rather taken aback upon getting a good look at Leila), sat by Leila's side, deep in thought, until she woke up...
Leila: *regaining consciousness* Ooooh... Argh... W-where am I...
Nikolai: Leila?
Leila: 
N-Nikolai?!? What are you doing here?!? *Leila immediately tries to bolt upright and defend herself, only to slump back down, too woozy from fatigue and trauma to make any sudden moves.* Argh... I thought I told you to stay away from me!!! I can't trust you... not after what you did to me... You'd better not be trying to kill me again!!! S-stay away... I'm warning you... *Leila raises her arms, trying to give the impression that she's ready to lash out at Nikolai if she needs to, but she's coming to the realization that she's unarmed, too punch-drunk to put up any sort of fight, and overall completely at Nikolai's mercy.* Don't... don't you dare try to hurt me... I won't go down without a fight!
N-Nikolai?!? What are you doing here?!? *Leila immediately tries to bolt upright and defend herself, only to slump back down, too woozy from fatigue and trauma to make any sudden moves.* Argh... I thought I told you to stay away from me!!! I can't trust you... not after what you did to me... You'd better not be trying to kill me again!!! S-stay away... I'm warning you... *Leila raises her arms, trying to give the impression that she's ready to lash out at Nikolai if she needs to, but she's coming to the realization that she's unarmed, too punch-drunk to put up any sort of fight, and overall completely at Nikolai's mercy.* Don't... don't you dare try to hurt me... I won't go down without a fight!Nikolai: Leila, calm down! I have no intention of hurting you... *Nikolai tries to approach Leila, only for her to make a clumsy attempt to swat him away.*
Leila: Urgh... Stay back!!! I won't let you hurt me again!!! *Leila tries to sound confident, but the tone of her voice reveals the fear she's currently feeling.*
Nikolai: Leila... please... settle down... you're in no condition to do anything strenuous. You just regained consciousness... That angry turtle dude roughed you up really badly.
Leila: ...Huh? Angry... turtle dude? You mean Bowser Jr.?
Nikolai: I dunno. I never bothered to ask for his name. I just blasted him senseless with... with the most incredible feat of magic I've ever managed to perform... He was about to kill you, Leila. And do you recall the last time we spoke? On the day I betrayed you, you saved my life, twice. Even though you really had no reason to. And you gave me some valuable advice that made me seriously rethink my life. Anyways, this is the second time I've rescued you since then, so we're even now.
Leila: I... I see. Thank you. Then... I should go now...
Nikolai: I'd love to let you, but you don't appear to be in any condition to walk straight. I don't want to let you stumble into harm's way once again...
Leila: But... I seem to be uninjured...
Nikolai: I took your phone and called your cousin, the healer. I believe her name was Anastasia...
Leila: What? *Leila turns to notice Anastasia sitting in a chair nearby.*
Anastasia: Um, hey, Leila. I wanted to speak up sooner, but there were no breaks in the conversation... Nikolai seems to be telling the truth. He used your phone to get in contact with me because he didn't have that information himself... he was afraid that you'd succumb to the injuries Bowser Jr. inflicted upon you unless I came to patch you up right away. I didn't really trust him, but when I heard that Bowser Jr. had attacked you, I had to meet with him anyways, just to make sure that you'd be all right.
Leila: ...Ah. Um... right. I'll take your word for it, Anya... Thanks for coming to help me.
Anastasia: You're welcome... But please call me by my full name. I don't want to get confused for Ben's nano-helper-bot-girl.
Leila: 
Right... *Leila turns back to Nikolai.* Nikolai... Um... 
Seriously... thank you for helping me. I probably would have died if you hadn't intervened... B. Junes came from out of nowhere, and I didn't have any time to think. All I could do was run for my life... and when I got cornered... there was nothing I could do to defend myself... If you hadn't been there... it would all have been over for me. You... You bailed me out of a serious mess... I... I can't come up with the words to express how grateful I am... Thank you, Nikolai.
Right... *Leila turns back to Nikolai.* Nikolai... Um... Seriously... thank you for helping me. I probably would have died if you hadn't intervened... B. Junes came from out of nowhere, and I didn't have any time to think. All I could do was run for my life... and when I got cornered... there was nothing I could do to defend myself... If you hadn't been there... it would all have been over for me. You... You bailed me out of a serious mess... I... I can't come up with the words to express how grateful I am... Thank you, Nikolai.Nikolai: You're welcome, Leila. *Nikolai wipes the tears off of Leila's face, and can't help but blush a little upon getting a closer look.* Um... Leila... do you mind if I talk to you for a bit?
Leila: Um... Well... *Leila looks around nervously* I guess it's okay... Anastasia's here, so I have a safety net if something goes wrong-
Nikolai: You still don't trust me?
Leila: *sigh* No. I don't.
Nikolai: *sigh* And I suppose I can't blame you. I really hurt you badly eight years ago... and when you started pranking and shunning me... as it dawned on me that you'd never have a cordial interaction with me again... that... that hurt me deep. It took me a few months after I betrayed you, but I eventually came to realize that I really did value your friendship, more than anything else... and that's probably why I couldn't manage to get you killed at the Slavic Circle chapel, even to save my own life.
Leila: Wait, what?!? You weren't trying to kill me?!?
Nikolai: Not really, no.
Leila: I'm sorry, you're confusing me like crazy right now. What the heck do you mean by that?!?
Nikolai: Not really, no.
Leila: I'm sorry, you're confusing me like crazy right now. What the heck do you mean by that?!?
Nikolai: It's not easy to explain... Perhaps it would be best if I started at the moment I betrayed you.
Leila: You mean when you first met me?
Nikolai: Yes- I mean, no! I'm being more specific... I planned to betray you when you introduced yourself as a Belnades, but I'm talking about the moment I started to carry out my plan. Specifically, when I knocked you unconscious and took you captive.
Leila: All right...
Nikolai: All right, let me start... *Nikolai clears his throat.* The spell I cast at you to knock you out... It was just a blast of wind. It wasn't the spell that knocked you out, it was the collision of your head with the pavement as you were bowled over. That spell is supposed to be really simple to cast... but when it came time to betray you... I had to literally force myself to go through with it. It took several times longer than usual to cast the spell - if you had seen it coming, you would have dodged it easily. And then, once I did knock you out, I took your cell phone, locked you up, and left to get the high priest... completely forgetting to take your weapons and tools. I left you with everything you needed to break out and make it out of the chapel alive. After which you saved me from getting tortured for screwing up. And after that, when I led you into that ambush... I was trying to hit you with my spells, so that you would be stunned or knocked out and the cultists could finish you off... but I missed every single time. And every single time, I hit one of the cultists instead. It was as if my spells were actively avoiding you. I was protecting you without even realizing it.
Leila: You mean when you first met me?
Nikolai: Yes- I mean, no! I'm being more specific... I planned to betray you when you introduced yourself as a Belnades, but I'm talking about the moment I started to carry out my plan. Specifically, when I knocked you unconscious and took you captive.
Leila: All right...
Nikolai: All right, let me start... *Nikolai clears his throat.* The spell I cast at you to knock you out... It was just a blast of wind. It wasn't the spell that knocked you out, it was the collision of your head with the pavement as you were bowled over. That spell is supposed to be really simple to cast... but when it came time to betray you... I had to literally force myself to go through with it. It took several times longer than usual to cast the spell - if you had seen it coming, you would have dodged it easily. And then, once I did knock you out, I took your cell phone, locked you up, and left to get the high priest... completely forgetting to take your weapons and tools. I left you with everything you needed to break out and make it out of the chapel alive. After which you saved me from getting tortured for screwing up. And after that, when I led you into that ambush... I was trying to hit you with my spells, so that you would be stunned or knocked out and the cultists could finish you off... but I missed every single time. And every single time, I hit one of the cultists instead. It was as if my spells were actively avoiding you. I was protecting you without even realizing it.
Leila: ...What.
Nikolai: I was still oblivious to what I really wanted. In desperation, I went back to get the high priest, but when we returned, you were gone. And you heard what happened next. The high priest erupted in fury, outraged at my failure. He berated me, and I tried to defend myself and claimed that I was doing the best I could to get you killed, but to no avail. He decided to eliminate me, and you stepped in and zapped him before he could take my life. I couldn't believe what was happening. I thought I was done for. I continued trying to fake being your friend, but you were wise to my game, and you were furious. I'll never forget the look of anguish, rage, and sorrow on your face as you scolded me for betraying you. I'll admit, I was trying to bide for time so the head priest could get up and kill you. But I wasn't trying very hard. If I was, I'd have just blasted you with my magic while you were distracted. But instead, I just let you scold me, telling myself that you had me at gunpoint and there was nothing I could do... I was trying to convince myself that I wanted you dead, but it was no use. And when you stormed off, and the high priest tried to kill me again, and you stopped him again... I was completely awestruck. I couldn't believe what was happening. Then you led me away and explained what happened to your parents, and they let me go. I was incredibly confused. I had no idea what to think. But over time, I came to a realization... Deep down... I never wanted to kill you. I believed that I had to, in order to restore my family's prestige from the days of old. After you left me, I realized that the goal I'd been striving for had no meaning, and decided to seek a different path. What you said to me, on the day I betrayed you... I've been thinking about your words a lot. I know I already mentioned this five years ago, but I've taken your advice to heart and started looking for a new path in life. I didn't have a good idea of where I was going the last time we talked, but after what happened tonight, I've been thinking again... and I finally know what I'm supposed to do. But, upon seeing what I did for you tonight... I think my original goal - restoring my family's honor - is what I was meant to do all along. But I was doing it completely backwards. I was never supposed to kill you, Leila... I was supposed to protect you. All along, I was meant to be your partner and protector... but before I even met you, I fell for the lies of Mysto's cult, and I got confused. I tried to kill you because I thought it was what I wanted, but when the time came... I just couldn't do it. I couldn't manage to take your life, because I couldn't bring myself to do it properly. I left you with the possibility of escape, and completely bungled recapturing you, because I wanted you to get out safely. I just didn't realize that until tonight.
Leila: ...Is this another trick?
Nikolai: No. It's not. I'm telling the honest truth. The magic I performed tonight to save you from your enemy... it was the most amazing magic I've ever performed. I don't think I could ever replicate it on my own. And when I saved you from the Happy Sperm Club five years ago... that was the second-most amazing thing I've ever done. And I know in my heart that if I find myself in a position to save your life once again, my magic will again exceed my wildest expectations. Leila, the key to bringing out my full potential, and to restoring my family to its former glory, is you.
Leila: ...What do you mean by that?
Nikolai: Exactly what I just said. Leila, you really are incredible... and I'm sorry that I tried to hurt you. I really mean it. I was completely in the wrong... I was unwittingly destroying my destiny. The time I spent with you was the time I was at my happiest and strongest... It's only in retrospect that I realize how much I cherished you, even back then, and now that I know why I'm here, I cherish you all the more. Leila, I'm meant for you, to be your partner. And I want to be your friend again. Will you please take me back?
Leila: *Leila blankly stares at Nikolai for several moments, unsure of what to think. She's still afraid that he'll betray her again, but on the other hand, Nikolai did indeed save her life. And she's unable to keep herself from remembering the good times she had with him, during the two months after their first encounter. Leila turns to Anastasia, silently pleading for her advice.*
Anastasia: Um... Leila? This is a decision you have to make yourself.
Leila: *sigh* *Leila continues to struggle with her feelings for a full minute, but eventually, she reaches her decision.* ...Y-yes... I... I'd like that very much. You did save my life tonight... I'll give you another chance.
Nikolai: 
Thank you, Leila. You won't regret it. I am never going to hurt you again! And anyone else who tries to hurt you, up to and including Mysto herself, is going to have to answer to me.
Thank you, Leila. You won't regret it. I am never going to hurt you again! And anyone else who tries to hurt you, up to and including Mysto herself, is going to have to answer to me.Leila: 
Thank you, Nikolai. I really appreciate it. *Leila hugs Nikolai back.* Ah... I still remember how much I loved you back then... how much I cried when you betrayed me... how badly that hurt... Maybe I am a naive fool, but... after seeing what you did tonight... I'm glad to have you back. I'd be lying to myself if I claimed otherwise.
Thank you, Nikolai. I really appreciate it. *Leila hugs Nikolai back.* Ah... I still remember how much I loved you back then... how much I cried when you betrayed me... how badly that hurt... Maybe I am a naive fool, but... after seeing what you did tonight... I'm glad to have you back. I'd be lying to myself if I claimed otherwise.Nikolai: Leila... I'm glad to have you back, too. I've truly missed the sight of your smiling face... almost as much as I've missed having you as my friend. I... I love you.
Leila: Nikolai... I... I... I love you, too... I'm not sure if my affection for you ever really died... but I was just so afraid of allowing myself to trust you again... so afraid of being hurt... Oh, Nikolai...
Leila:
Nikolai... I... I... I love you, too... I'm not sure if my affection for you ever really died... but I was just so afraid of allowing myself to trust you again... so afraid of being hurt... Oh, Nikolai...Anastasia: Um... Do you two need some privacy?
Leila & Nikolai: ... ... ...YES.
... ... ...YES.And... well, that's just about a wrap for the story so far. There is one more thing. Later that night, Nikolai revealed that he had done some independent research on Mysto's past, and discovered that her mother, Reneé, had actually been close friends with Anita's mother, Christina. Anita and Mysto had actually been playmates as very young girls, only to drift apart due to ideological rifts between them as they grew older. And then their friendship was completely destroyed when Altair killed Reneé and Mysto swore vengeance on the Catholic Church. Based on all of this, Nikolai concluded that the reason that Mysto had not been destroyed, as the Church's prophecy claimed she would be, was that there was still hope for redeeming her and peacefully reconciling her feud with the Abrahamic religions. If only she could be made to see that people like Altair were no longer tolerated, let alone endorsed, by the Church... that the only thing keeping her feud alive was her misplaced rage at a man who no longer had any power to manipulate events in this life or the next... and that God had never condoned the destruction of her people or her culture... then perhaps it would be possible to make her see the error of her ways and atone for her actions. Nikolai planned to be the spokesperson for the Church in this regard - due to his identity as a Slav and a believer in the old Slavic gods, Mysto would be far more likely to listen to him than to a Christian. But in order to carry out the plan, he'd need Leila's help, both to gather the information necessary to quiet Mysto's anger and to convince the Church to allow him to speak for them. Leila, for her part, was quite impressed with Nikolai's plan and resolved to share it with her family at the earliest opportunity. And that is where the story trails off. Nikolai is, in the end, Leila's soulmate. But that won't be realized in the roleplays. Don't expect anyone other than Sonja or Dream to so much as mention what's been revealed in this post, other than the betrayal, because it has yet to actually happen. Everyone other than the two seers thinks of Nikolai as a boy who tried to be a murderer, failed, and is now essentially on parole, being closely watched to make sure that he doesn't try to hurt Leila or anyone else again. Or, at least, they will after this roleplay. At this point in time, Nikolai hasn't even betrayed Leila yet - she still thinks he's her friend.
Phew. This was one long addendum.
...I may actually need to rewrite this, since I've had Nikolai explaining himself (and rescuing Leila) way ahead of the original schedule...
Little continuation: during the Easter weekend, Leila and Nikolai return home, only for Leila to be ambushed by Zharnev, who beats and blasts her to within an inch of her life. Before he can land the killing blow, however, Nikolai steps in to protect Leila and help her back to her feet, after which the two of them fight off Zharnev together. This gesture completely wins Leila over, and she starts opening up to Nikolai just like she did before. Leila and Nikolai become pretty much inseparable after that, head-over-heels in love with each other just like Luther and Lindsay. Leila also comes to the realization that she's been in love with Nikolai all along, just as he's always been in love with her, which is why she couldn't stop thinking of the betrayal (and she had also had zero success in dating in the eight years since Nikolai betraying her and him finally getting her to realize just how much he regretted stabbing her in the back and how badly he wanted to have her back; she couldn't stop thinking of him and the friendship she used to have with him).
By the time our roleplay at "Easter teeth" starts, Leila has completely forgiven Nikolai for what he did to her in the past, and the two are now steadfast companions. She's still a little bit wary of him, but deep down, she knows that this time around, he's being completely sincere with her; he'll never hurt her again.
By the time our roleplay at "Easter teeth" starts, Leila has completely forgiven Nikolai for what he did to her in the past, and the two are now steadfast companions. She's still a little bit wary of him, but deep down, she knows that this time around, he's being completely sincere with her; he'll never hurt her again.
BTW, the high priest's name is Zharnev.
Zharnev's theme: "Headbutt" from Castlevania: Order of Shadows
Nikolai's theme: "The Stone" by the Dave Matthews Band</span>