[Nikolai Laska]

Nikolai Maksimilian
Laska-Alim-Verdi

Age 29 Birthday July 13, 1990 Gender Nonbinary Pronouns He/They(/She*) Orientation Pansexual Demiromantic Faction Chimera Class Trainer Rank New Trainer Occupation Tattoo Artist Hometown Northern Era Current Residence Traveling

Tell us a little about yourself. How would you describe yourself? Nik had to bite his tongue to not immediately answer 'garbage'. Not only would that be pretty bad for an interview, but he was trying to be less negative on himself (at least when he wasn't around people he knew would appreciate his self-deprecation). He knew the Mienshao in his lap would scold him for it, now, though. So instead, after a moment, he replied, "Ah... It depends what you want to know? I'm... a good trainer? A decent person?" He thought another moment, then smirked. "If you're asking how I like to think of myself, a magical fairy princess comes to mind." He chuckles softly, but he doesn't seem to be joking either. Why are you interested in the class you've chosen? Oh boy... That probably shouldn't be a loaded question, but once again he found himself struggling not to say something stupid, like 'I don't know how to do anything else.' Wording it a bit more gingerly, he answered, "No other class particularly fit my skillset. I've got a lot of experience raising Pokemon, and was a Gym Leader in the Veria region for about a year. I'm not really interested in the Gym Challenge or the whole tournament idea like a lot of dedicated Trainers, but a lot of my time and effort will be devoted to training for its own sake, so yeah, heh. "It was this, Breeder, or Explorer. And while I love raising Pokemon, I get attached to them too easy to sell a bunch of eggs. And I'm kind of agoraphobic and historically being on my own in the wilderness has not ended well, so... Trainer it is, heh." Why are you interested in training in Arciel? Why not another region? Here, he actually can say what first comes to mind, though his face grows grim first. "The Ultra Beasts re-emerging. I don't know how long we'll stick around, but when we heard about the recent Wormhole, I told my husband we had to do something. Especially with him having family here, and our friend Luke moving here for UB-related research work." He sighs. "I don't know how much help we can be, but... Yeah." Here, he pauses, debating whether to say what's on his mind. It's not really part of the interview but... "Granted," he gives in, "We could be a lot more effective if you guys would lift the import restrictions during times of crisis. I have loads of powerful well-trained Pokemon back home that could be really useful if--" Seeing the interviewer looking tired and annoyed, he bites his tongue. "Sorry, just. I get bureaucracy and I know it's not your fault. It's just frustrating." At least they let him bring Jasna. He didn't know what he'd do without her. What do you consider your best attributes? They can be physical, mental, social, or anything else. Nik blinks slowly, not really sure how to handle that sudden tone shift. Nor, you know, really sure what to say about himself that was actually positive. Mm... He pets Jasna in his lap as he thinks. "I guess... I'm a pretty empathetic person. When someone else needs help, whether it's comfort or physical protection, I find it really hard to sit idly by. I'm... not the best or strongest or bravest person, but I care deeply about people. That's... something..." He looks away, still petting his Mienshao. "I can... also be fairly diplomatic in the right situations? But yeah." Hm. Surely he could come up with at least three nice things to say, right? ...Uh. "Um... I'm good at art, I guess? I dunno." That technically counted, heh. What do you consider your worst attributes? Be honest, now! Hm? ... Ha. Nik smiles faintly. "Now that one's easier. I'm an asshole," he answers. Jasna huffs and leers at him, but he replies, "Hey, they asked. I'm just answering, that's fair right?" He stuck his tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes, but settled back into the pets. "I have trouble reading social situations, and even when I'm trying to be nice I still have a tendency to look down on people for different reasons. Like... Have you ever seen that meme with the golden trashbag in the pile that says 'when you're garbage but still better than everyone else?'" He laughs lightly. "Yeah that's my brain apparently. I also like to mess with people, but I'm pretty conflict avoidant and not always good at taking back what I dish out. And I mean you could argue at least I'm aware of this shit, but?" He laughs lightly again. "Nah. If anything that makes it worse, yeah? Being self-aware and still a jerk. "I'm also kind of a coward. Like? I told you I'll do practically anything to defend someone else, but? When it's just me? Hahaha. No. No I'm running. Hell, I'm still scared of shit like the dark and slightly ajar closets. Not to mention wide open spaces and being alone in the wilderness. That's part of why I need Jasna with me most of the time, and why I brought a starter who can Teleport, so I have like, an eject button if I start having a panic attack while trying to train. Or, you know, run into legitimate danger, but yeah." What was your childhood like? How was school? Nik blinks for a moment, then lets out an awkward but bright laugh. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting that. So like, this is going to sound outlandish, but I'm actually literal nobility, or used to be before the Eran Civil War. My mom was a Baroness, so you can probably guess what growing up was like. Lots of private studies, no public school, plenty of etiquette classes, and being spoiled to shit. Honestly, even ten years ago, I was such an arrogant prick that I still thought of most people as 'commoners' and inherently 'beneath me'. Like... I once got pissy with my mom because she refused to buy my boyfriend an actual island. I was 14, ha. "But sorry, I'm getting sidetracked. Point is, we didn't want for much of anything, other than maybe parental attention and the occasional stupid unrealistic thing. As far as studies, I did fine. Didn't really get the socialization factor of school, but I had my twin sister and one of the servants had a set of twins a year older than us we got to hang out with, so I wasn't quite entirely isolated at least. I do feel like I wound up going through some social development stages most folks go through in elementary school in my early 20's instead, but yeah. Overall my childhood was good, while it lasted. "I kind of had to grow up fast with the country's coup and a prelude to war starting to brew. My cousin had taken over for his dad as Grand Duke, and when I was 19 he broke down and mom pushed me to take his place, so uh... I spent about a year and a half running a quarter of the country when I wasn't even old enough to drink by Eran standards. So like... THAT'S a whole fucking thing, but it's fine. It's fine! After we eventually fled the country and I finally had to start living as a so-called "commoner", I feel like my life actually really started and I was able to kind of find myself and start making friends and learned that just being able to live a semi-normal life was so much more comfortable and liberating than trying to maintain some facade of superiority or being responsible for so many people. "B-but uh... I guess I kind of went past just my childhood there. Sorry for rambling, heh..." How is your relationship with your family? "Ah... It's... better lately. Mom and I get along better with more space than when I was a kid, even if my baby sister is still clearly her favorite." He rolls his eyes briefly. "Dad's always been distant and closer to my twin than to me, but he's cool enough when we do talk. I lost touch with said twin, Dasha, for a few years and then things were strained for a while when we did get back in touch, but we've pretty much chilled out. We're not as inseparable as we were as kids, but we're fairly close. And then the baby, Ilya, like..." He frowns. "I don't think I can ever entirely let go of my grudge against her from when we were kids, between being mom's blatant favorite and abusing that to get us in trouble a lot and just being a little brat. But I've... moooostly told myself that she never asked to be raised that way, and she's chilled out a lot as a..." His mouth twists. "I mean she's 23 now but I refuse to acknowledge her as an adult. But yeah. Point is she's okay now and we get along mostly okay, even if I still kind of like giving her hell sometimes." He pauses a moment, then smirks. "Bit of a tangent, but I actually became a Fairy-type specialist specifically to spite her when we were younger by having cuter Pokemon than her. Still my favorite type, and still deeply satisfying knowing it bothers her just a tiny bit, hehehe." What do you like to do for fun? Hmmm. "I like doing art, though that's also my job, I guess. I paint sometimes, but mostly draw. I like training Pokemon, obviously, as well as just caring for them like grooming and stuff. The babe's taught me to cook a little, and I'm usually too tired-slash-lazy to actually do so but it's kinda fun now and then. Going out on dates is fun, too. Mostly with my husband or my girlfriend, but once in a blue moon someone else might strike my fancy enough to give them a shot. Though I haven't-- Hm? Oh this is getting into the next question? Okay, shoot." What are your feelings on romance? "Ah, yeah I see what you mean. So like I know I was just talking about dating but like? Honestly? Romance is fucking dumb." He laughs lightly. "No like. I'm deeply in love with two wonderful people, and I love flirting with random folks both out of genuine interest and just to make them feel awkward because it amuses me. I love going on dates. I love doing cute relationship shit together. I'm very polyamorous, even if I haven't started a new serious relationship in years and my girlfriend and I are way way more casual than my husband and I. But I like being able to be playful and stuff. "But like, all that said? The whole concept of romance is dumb. Traditional notions of 'being romantic' are cheesy and I can't take them seriously most of the time. My relationships are built on friendship first, and just kind of falling in love from there. I mean I'm demiromantic and rarely have crushes so much as platonic squishes, so that might effect it, but still." What are your goals for the future? Short-term and long-term. "Ah, hm. I mean obviously 'make sure the Ultra Beasts are stopped' is a thing but other than that... I've accomplished so much that I'm really pretty happy. I guess I wanna finish completing my Fairy-type collection, minus Legendary Pokemon of course. Though man I'd love to meet a Fairy Legend someday, but that's more a dream than a 'goal', heh. Longterm, I guess... I'd like to have or adopt a kid or two someday." If you could be a Pokemon, what species or typing would you choose and why? He smirks oddly at this. "I mean, I'd almost definitely be a Fairy-type if you want something that describes my personality. But if you're asking me to CHOOSE, Floatzel is my fursona." The interviewer looks a bit caught off-guard by that, and Nik laughs. "Don't pretend that wasn't secretly what you were asking." What do Pokemon mean to you? "Mm..." For all that he's been a bit awkward and silly so far, Nik suddenly becomes very sincere. Looking to the Mienshao in his lap, he smiles softly. "Jasna is my life and the light of my heart. I wouldn't be alive if not for her. So to answer, honestly, Pokemon are just a different kind of people. They operate differently than us, and we have different social structures that create an environment of humans in charge, which works in some ways I guess but isn't my ideal. But in the end? Pokemon aren't humans, but they're people, not exactly the same as us, but still worthy to be considered equal overall." Anything else you'd like to tell us about before you go? Nik shakes his head. "I think we're good. Thanks for your time." He stands up, and Jasna shifts effortlessly around him with his movements to get into her spot on his back before he walks out.

Appearance

Height 5'9½" / 176cm Build Chubby Muscular Hair Color Silver Eye Color Bluish-Gray

Nikolai stands roughly 5'9" to 5'10" depending on the day. He has a broad frame and a pretty significant amount of both fat and muscle, though the prior makes the latter less obvious except when he flexes or exerts his arms. He's slightly squishy all over, albeit very solid under the layer of squish. He has a notable amount of belly pudge. His skin is naturally rather pale. When he gets enough sun, it tends to color a bit unevenly, resulting in blotchy freckling especially across his nose/cheeks. While that most prominent patch has gotten dark enough to be pretty noticeable, the rest doesn't tend to be as much unless you're quite close and know to look for it. His other features are also quite pale: eyes a bluish-gray (veering more gray in most lighting) and hair a light silver. His eyes are a bit weak and near-sighted, but not debilitating and he finds glasses and contacts both hard to keep up with, so he just squints if need be. His hair has always been a perpetual mess and very difficult to tame, seeming to defy gravity no matter what he tried. After enough years of growing it out, however-- it's now kept anywhere between halfway down his back and to his waist, depending on how long since his last haircut-- it finally lays... well, still not flat, but vaguely downward, floofing out all over rather than sticking up at least. His bangs are still a mess, but he can live with that. The downside is the sheer volume now makes his hair hard to manage, and sometimes braiding it for a few days and/or still stuffing it under a hat is easier than dealing with it. Stocking caps / beanies are preferred, though he has an extensive hat collection he might break out from time to time. He alternates between wearing his hair down, in a ponytail or braid(s), or under a hat, but sometimes opts for the latter just for sensory comfort. He favors neutral tones and shades of blue or pastel pink for clothing, and mostly dresses in very casual, comfortable clothes. T-shirts, sweaters, jeans, khakis, sweatpants. (He owns entirely too many t-shirts with silly, snarky, geeky, or Pride-related prints.) If going out for training purposes, especially, cargo pants or shorts are very common, pockets loaded with whatever he might need because screw carrying a bag. While he might wear jeans or slacks in some situations, often if pants/shorts have less than six pockets Nik is uninterested, and even more pockets can rarely hurt. Dresses and skirts are technically an option, but require a specific mood to wear, and he might get self-conscious and decide to change before getting through the day... although, the idea of wearing a sparkly-ass breezy dress instead of a hot stuffy tux to a formal event sounds absofuckinglutely fantastic. Nik's presentation can fluctuate a lot. On lazy days, he tends to look more masculine or androgynous, but when he has the energy to put in effort he likes to present lightly feminine. A little eyeliner, lip gloss, or pink/girly shirts ("Princess" shirts have a special place in his heart) are fairly common. Maybe some cute hair accessories when he's feeling extra fancy. As far as markings go, he has two sets of scars on his back: three vaguely triangular, slightly sloped, shallow indentations on either side around the base of his ribcage. These were never wounds. His Mienshao just rides on his back so often and has large enough claws that they've slowly worn into permanent marks, which she now actively aligns her feet with when climbs on him. It is Her Spot and his is very okay with this, to a point he got two pawprint tattoos lined up under the scars to further emphasize the point. He also has a few very light scars higher on his back from a Noivern attack, and a set of 3 slash marks across his upper right shoulder and chest from an Ursaring attack, the middle of which is the most obvious with the outer two being a bit lighter. He has two piercings in his right ear and one in his left. He has a small stylized Mienshao tattoo on the upper left side of his chest, just a little under his collarbone. On his left shoulder, he has another tattoo that visually combines a Buddhist 8-fold Path with Arceus' emblem to represent a harmonious coexistence of different beliefs and lifestyles, inspired in a large part by his ex(*) after he finally got some closure with her. (* - Notably, said ex has done all his tattoos except for half of the coexistence one, which he did himself with her teaching; and she did all but one of his piercings, his first in his right ear having been gotten when he was 13.) Aura Nik's aura is primarily varying shades of blue and purple, from teal to magenta but not quite true green or pink. It shifts and flows gently like an aurora. Light, sparse wisps slither through it from bottom to top like tiny hints of flame; these fluctuate between more silver or gray depending on the day. A light dusting of white and black "stars" is also scattered across it, with the white generally outweighing the black, but the black becoming more prominent and seeming to vibrate through his aura a bit on bad depression days.

Skills, Abilities, & Notoriety

STANDARD SKILLS Agility 0 Charisma 10 Cooking 5 Crime 0 Dexterity 8 Farming 0 Fishing 0 Gaming 5 Luck 0 Medic 0 Mining 0 Performance (Singing) 7 Research 0 Stamina 30 Stealth 0 Strength 15 Survival 0 POWER SKILLS Aura 0 Psychic 0 Abilities N/A NOTORIETY Reputation 0 Fame 10 Alignment +10 - Neutral Other Notes * - Nik tends to be comfortable with "he/him" from friends and family, and overall still thinks of himself as a bit masculine internally. However, he prefers "they/them" from strangers and casual acquaintances if possible; he won't generally correct people more than once if that and doesn't mind "he/him" toooo much, but it makes him happy when they use "they" instead. He also likes "they" from his girlfriend, Mia, as she identifies as a lesbian and it makes him feel more valid to not have his masculinity accentuated with her. On occasion, he will also use "she/her" pretty much exclusively with his husband, Orion, and sometimes likes to think of himself as "his girl" (even though? Orion is mostly gay? and Nik takes great pride in being queer as all hell? Don't ask me how this fucker's logic works I'm just the messenger). Nik is an import from Horizons which had a similar skill system to LR, and as such can be apped with extra Stamina reflecting his Master Rank Endurance found here. Nik is autistic, agoraphobic, and has a fair amount of anxiety and bipolar disorder. He veers depressed more often than manic, though this mostly affects his energy levels and other physical symptoms. He's pretty good at coping and generally stays in pretty good spirits, though he does use a lot of self-deprecating humor and doesn't think very highly of himself. He does occasionally have days to weeks where he's more classically depressed, though. And while mania is less common and usually hypomania, a nice change of pace that makes him more productive and energetic for a little while, he occasionally does get hypermanic and irritable and useless to a point it feels way worse than just being depressed. At least he knows how to deal with the latter and is used to it, but the prior makes him pretty much non-functional. He has some chronic pain due to an old hip injury, and has a mild addiction to his pain medication. He normally doesn't misuse it, but has been known to from time to time, and always has a strong temptation to do so to a point of needing to have his husband or his service Mienshao take his meds away for a while and administer to him only if and as needed. Pokemon Starter Option Hard Mode C - Ralts OOC or IC? OOC Gem Spending? 1 Gem - Fairy Mystery Egg 3 Gems - 10 Fame / +10 Alignment OOC Info Played By SG Face Claim Lord Uroko from Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea

[bone]

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Congratulations Nikolai Laska ! Your profile has been accepted, locked, and moved to the appropriate forum. Staff will update the member directory and face claim list. Next, you should make a PC. Then you are free to begin RPing!

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Your starter has arrived!

	Ralts Lv5
		5 Energy
	Average	Lax
	Trace
MOVES
Growl, Disarming Voice, Double Team, Confusion
NOTES

	Mystery Fairy Egg
	Unknown Size	Unknown Color
	Unknown Ability	0/5 Posts