[BASIC INFORMATION]
Vocal Theme ||Judge | 21 Pilots||
Leitmotif ||Crystallize | Lindsey Stirling||
Full Name: Nikolai Utkin
Origin and Meaning: Nikolai is a variant on the name Nicholas, meaning 'victory of the people.' Utkin is a name derived from the word duck. Yes, the animal.
Nickname: Niko and Nikki.
Origin and Meaning: Niko is the name his friends use. It's a pretty common shortening of his name. His little sister and his parents use Nikki, so using it will make him blink and look around for his family.
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Role: Boy 1âThe Slacker
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Face Claim: Usui Takumi
Appearance: Being from Fane, Nikolai has the trademark green eyes and tall stature. He's skinny, perhaps even lanky, so he can't pull off that silent imitation that Fanes are known for. His hair is fair, fine, and messy. He could comb it, but he'd rather not. Honestly, Nikolai needs a haircut. His hair falls into his eyes frequently, so he's always brushing it aside. His clothing is a bit loose, but it's also very comfy. It's not unusual for his shirts to be very wrinkled and for his pants to be covered in paint stains. Nikolai does own formal clothing, though. Hanging in his closet is a stereotypical green and gold-buttoned jacket that Fanish men are known for having. Nikolai tans very easily, but he's rarely in the sun, so his skin is somewhat pale. He has a sharp, angled jawline, and his features are similarly sharp. In fact, upon first seeing him, one might describe him as all edges and lines. He smiles easily, yet even his smiles have a severe quality to them. Nikolai slouches a bit. His hands are either tucked into his pockets or fiddling with a pen. Speaking of hands, they're calloused and usually inkstained. Nikolai isn't exceptionally handsome, but he has somewhat of an intense, perhaps rougish, charm.
[PERSONAL INFORMATION]
Personality: Lazy, caustic, and more interested in entertaining himself than getting things done, Nikolai has managed to get by in life by talent and sheer luck. For himself, the bare minimum is more than enough. However, as he approaches adulthood, Nikolai is beginning to wonder whether his approach will be enough. He's rather self-confident, but his arrogant nature belies a mind used to introspection and self-examination. Though he's found himself lacking, he's too lazy to make a change. Nikolai gets along with people when he makes an effort. Thus, he's cultivated a large circle of acquaintances and one or two good friends. Nikolai has the habit of flirting with anything on two legs. He's rarely serious; Nicolai has never been in a real relationship, though he has had casual flings. But he finds people's reactions to his flirtations quite hilarious, though he does know not to cross any lines.
Believe it or not, Nikolai is quite sentimental. He'll keep sketches and useless trinkets from years past, simply because it reminds him of a certain person or memory. In other words, he's a pack-rat. And he's messy. Very, very messy. Nikolai tries to keep his mess inside his room, but there's no guarantee that it won't spill into other rooms. Nikolai thrives on confrontation, but only if someone else starts it. If given the opportunity, he'll leap on the chance to start a verbal debate. At the same time, he might decide to annoy instead of argue. Imagine a little kid poking his brother with a stick, and you have the general idea. Nikolai has absolutely no time-management skills. He does work well under pressure, though, and he when he puts the effort, Nikolai usually finishes what he needs to in the nick of time.
However, Nikolai is superficially charming. Unlike some Fanes, he has no problem with small talk and niceties. Most people, upon first meeting him, describe him as kind and gregarious. It's only upon closer inspection that his idiosyncrasies reveal themselves. Professors, at first, paint him as bright and full of potential. But as the year drags on, Nikolai gradually gets lumped in with the problem students. After all, intelligence isn't what's needed to succeed in class. Work needs to be turned in, too. Nikolai has a reputation for being flaky. He'll laugh and pout and act like nothing bothers him. Nikolai does indeed have a thick skin when it comes to other people's comments, but he is scathing when it comes to his own flaws. Despite his invulnerable facade, Nikolai is terrified of the future. He doesn't want to become a failure, but he doesn't know if he's capable of putting the effort needed to succeed. At times, his crippling fear causes him to become moody and silent. Nearly flunking out last year was an enormous reality check for him, but Nikolai isn't sure if anything will change.
Hobbies/Interests: He likes all kinds of art, but especially sketching. Nikolai used to be heavily involved in model airship building as a kid, but he's found it to be too time-consuming. (And there's also his lingering guilt and disappointment at his inability to become an Airship Machinist.) Still, when he's feeling nostalgic, he'll build a set or two. Nikolai loves dogs. He becomes a gushing mess whenever he's near a puppy. However, he hates cats, and cats hate him. Nikolai hasn't yet met a cat that likes him. He wastes a lot of time on the PT, playing meaningless games. Despite the amount of time he spends on it, Nikolai is fairly bad at handling the technology. Ask him to do anything beyond opening the game app, and he'll stare at you blankly. He's a bit of an urban explorer. It's nothing serious, but he'll occassionally wander around the city, taking in the sights. Being from a small town, all the people are a bit overwhelming. Unfortunately, he's horrible at sports. Or any physical activity. Whenever he tries, someone usually gets hurt. His favorite food is strawberries.
[TALENT INFORMATION]
Special Abilities/Skills: He's a jack of all trades. He's decent at mechanics, sculpting, music (particularly voice), and writing. All of these are helped by his eidetic imagery, which allows him to remember much of what he's seen. Drawing, however, is his true passion. Nikolai will spend hours drawing and doodling in his sketch book. Even when he's supposed to be listening or taking notes, he'll be sketching the teacher or odd creatures. Now, considering that he attends the northern Art campus, it may seem like a good thing. However, rarely draws what he's supposed to draw. Not only that, he almost never finishes his drawings. All he has are pages upon pages of unfinished artwork. Excellent, detailed artwork, but unfinished nonetheless.
[EQUIPMENT INFORMATION]
Personal Items of Interest(if any): He has spectacles, but he hates wearing them. Nikolai only wears them when he needs to read. He also has a checkered scarf that his little sister gave him. He always keeps it carefully washed and tucked away next to her drawings. When he's feeling especially down, he'll wear the scarf. On his desk, he has a framed sketch of him and his two best friends. An old collar sits next to it. His room contains books of every kind, but the majority of his bookshelf is full of sketchbooks. It's more unusual to see him without a sketchbook than with one. Nikolai is very picky when it comes to his writing utensils. He also never lets anyone touch his special pens, which he hoards away.
[BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION]
Occupation(s): Full-time student, though he does make some pocket money by selling his artwork.
Activities/Organizations: He's in the figure-sketching club and the airship-enthusiasts club. Nikolai used to be part of a few other organizations, but he lost interest. He occassionally volunteers at an animal shelter. The people there know to keep cats far, far away from him.
Citizenship/Place of Birth: Fane
History: Nikolai was born to an accountant father and a stay-at-home mother. While his father was a full-blooded Fane, his mother is only half. Both of his parents were kind and supportive, but in hindsight, they had no idea how to handle a bright and precarious child. Nikolai loved to doodle on the walls of his house, but even then, his childish scribbles were rather accurate. His parents first realized that their child was special after he threw a tantrum at age four. Angry at not getting an airship for his birthday Nikolai (angrily, in a hysterical voice) described every airship he had seen in the last year. Not only did he mention each ship by name, he also recounted exactly how it looked like.
His mother made the mistake of praising his intelligence instead of his work, and the teachers at his school continued that poor trend. He spent much of his time in school reading whatever interested him instead of focusing on the actual classwork, but his teachers let it slide due to his intelligence. In his small town's class, Nikolai was heads above everyone else, so he became used to accomplishing anything without putting any effort. Despite his academic success, he was still well-liked by the students and teachers. His two best friends, Mia and Vlad, were avid gamers who introduced him to the joys of games on the PT. They spent many evenings playing games. Mia was also a wanderer who dragged her two friends around the small town, forcing them to explore with her. Because of Mia, Nikolai learned about the many nooks and crannies in their town, and he gained an appreciation for wandering. Being from a small town in Fane, Nikolai has a strong accent. He also has the habbit of adding "Da?", the quintesentail Fanish phrase, at the end of questions.
When he turned eleven, Nikolai's sister Darya was born. Nikolai became a doting older brother. He'd tell her stories for hours, content to indulge in her whims. Darya was almost his exact opposite, sweet and polite and a genuine people-pleaser. She wasn't as gifted as her brother, but even as a young child, Darya worked hard. While Nikolai took after their father, Darya looks more like her mother's, with dark hair and eyes. Nikolai still has the horrible drawings she made for him. Besides a sister, Nikolai also had a dog. His family had taken care of Floofy since Nikolai was two, so he grew up with the adorable, less-than-intelligent pup. Floofy passed away a few months before Nikolai left for Twin Stars. His death was one of the few times that Nikolai has outright sobbed, and he cried for days afterwards. He still tears up thinking about his old, faithful companion.
When he was sixteen, his teachers recommended that he apply for the Twin Stars Academy. Nikolai did, and he was accepted with a partial scholarship. Coming to the Academy was a massive reality check, however. No longer was he the most gifted, the most talented, or the most anything. He struggled with the workload, and Nikolai was forced to switch into the Arts. But even at the Northern Campus, Nikolai didn't do well. He had no work ethic, and Nikolai couldn't cruise by on his own talents. He nearly failed out the first year, but Nikolai managed to pass by the skin of his teeth. As a consequence, his scholarship was drastically cut. It now only covered tuition, and Nikolai was forced to find cheaper housing. His parents, disappointed with his actions, agreed to help pay for rent if he promised to do better this year. Though Nikolai accepted their conditions, he isn't sure if he can keep the promise...