▬▬▬▬▬ NIEKO COLTE • • • • •
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ as played by Xavi

❖ Blackhawk or Nieko
❖ Valsozn ignis (in layman's terms, fire elemental)
❖ Male
❖ Bisexual
❖ Currently single
❖ 31
❖ 6-1.5"
❖ Vivid emerald orbs with gold fleck near the iris
❖ Rich chocolaty brown hair that, if caught right in the light, can almost look blackish-green

❖ APPEARANCE Perhaps Nieko's most noteworthy physical feature is his 1/2-inch thick tattoo: Upon first meeting Rroy, Nieko always knew he wanted to serve the young Skytun child. As such, when he came of age, he tattooed his face to show eternal servitude to the man. A Colte always serves another, often choosing between one of three clans. Nieko? Well, he decided to do the opposite and, after much research, learned he could serve another clan, a fourth clan not as well known. To serve this specific clan, he would need to tattoo his face with a large black bar that runs from earlobe to earlobe and over the nose. This tattoo symbolizes the void in his culture and grants him the opportunity to serve the not-so-well-known Skytun family.

Mark aside, Nieko also has two silver cuffs on his right, elfish-looking ear. The man also has a hawk tattoo (about 3-inches wide) on his left peck. He has no other noteworthy or noticeable scars or markings.

Nieko's form is rather lithe. At times, he can be mistaken as a female. His body seems to have slight curves, giving people the idea that he might be female. However, when viewing him from the front, you can tell he's a male. Kinda. His flesh is a nice creamy color and his cheeks are often a lovely shade of rose. The male has thick near-black eyelashes that actually make him look like he's wearing eyeliner. His eyebrows are also neat and tidy--not by choice; he was merely gifted with slender, perfect eyebrows. His lips, full and kissable, tend to look like they have a nice, pale pink gloss to them.

The Valsozn often wears the color black as, by trait, he practices ninjutsu. He's well-practiced in the art of silent assassinations so his attire is often tight yet lose enough to allow his body to manipulate itself to squeeze into impossible places. He often walks and runs on his tiptoes, giving him a silent step.

Another signature mark of Nieko's is his beloved black to green to gold scarf. The edges are designed to look like flames, eluding to the fact that he might have an obsession for fire.

Scent-wise, Nieko often smells of sandalwood, salt, and vetiver. There are faint traces of ash and charcoal in his aroma too.

❖ SKILLS Regarding abilities, Nieko is a spit-fire. Meaning, he has a breath of fire. His fire does not have to come from his throat though. No, if necessary, Nieko can conjure it up in the palm of his hand and wield it that way. He can also force it out the bottom of his feet, using it like a cushion if he suffers from a long fall.

Aside from fire-bending, Nieko also as the unique ability to shape-shift into a hawk, or phoenix. This ability stems from his mother who was an Animorphus aves: A crossbreed between a Hume and a bird. His father, also a Valsozn ignis, is the one that taught Nieko's master, Rroy, all about ninjutsu, of which Rroy eventually trained Nieko in.

Nieko is a master of the dual-swords, having no use nor need for a shield. His dual-swords are a charred black color with red-orange hilts. If desired, Nieko can force his fiery powers up the hilt and onto the blade. This technique, apparently rare, is known as the Dance of the Dragons. Aside from his dual-swords, Nieko also packs a few cherry bombs, flash bangs, and throwing knives and stars. In the past, he has trained with sai and hooked swords.

❖ WEAKNESS As expected, Nieko's natural weakness is water. This is not, however, mean that he has a fear for water. In fact, Nieko quite enjoys the water and spending time at the beach. His limitations come into play when he's in the water. He simply cannot hold his breath for long periods of time while underwater. More so, he cannot play in the water for longer. If he stays in the liquid for too long, his lungs become congested, thus leading to pneumonia.

Moreover, humid environments cause complications with his breathing. If he's to be exposed to a moisture atmosphere for prolonged periods of time, he needs to wear a mask or breathing apparatus. Much like swimming in the water, exposure to high amounts of water can cause his lungs to fill with water. Odd as it may sound, he could drown without being in water. As such, Nieko prefers arid places as they do not pose any health risks.

As Nieko is a Valsozn, his body has a unique kill-switch organ. If the organ is punctured, Nieko will die. To date, there is no way of restoring a damaged organ. Nieko's precious organ is located between his lungs. It's a tear-drop shaped organ that connects to his respiratory system. This is the organ that gives him his fiery abilities. It's location, those hidden beneath other main organs, isn't in a safe spot--for most people will instinctively go for the heart or lungs when trying to best a foe. This is one of the reasons Nieko wears his scarf at all times--yes, even when sleeping. The scarf serves as an extra layer of protection, should someone try to snipe his heart out.

❖ PERSONALITY When it comes to personality, Nieko is not at all what you would expect. Although a trained assassin, Nieko isn't known for being cold or even standoffish. In fact, Nieko is a people-person and enjoys the company of others. The brunette is rather cheeky and easy to get along with. He's known for being kind and enduring, almost motherly in a sense. His empathy levels are off the chats, especially for a male. Furthermore, he has no shame when it comes to crying before others. If something is truly sorrowful, he won't hold back his tears. In all honesty, he thinks the comments about men not crying is bogus. To him, a real man trusts his feelings and doesn't hide them.

Aside from being caring, Nieko is also old-fashioned. He doesn't believe in "testing out a mate." If you're interested, you go through the long process of courting. This doesn't mean he'll hold back kisses though! Nieko is all for showing affection through kisses. It simply means he wouldn't jump into someone's pants the second they sleep together. No, he's more controlled than that and, as such, holds himself at high regard.

Nieko is also the kind of man to go the extra mile for his friends. Even if it's an inconvenience for him, Nieko will put aside his own needs to aid his friends, especially Rroy. There isn't anything Nieko wouldn't do for Rroy. Well, maybe a few things as he has been known to contradict Rroy's expectations. Nieko does this because he wants to remind Rroy that, sometimes he's wrong. Nieko's defiance usually lands him in trouble but, with the batting of his lashes and a sad puppy dog face, Rroy's quick to forgive him.

When it comes to religion, Nieko practices none. He believes in himself above all else. He often comments that the fire within him is what guides him on his path. And that, no matter how dark his actions may seem, that they are somehow justifiable. To him, murder isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it's a way of cleaning up the darkness; preventing it from consuming and ailing others.

If given a mortality alignment, Nieko would be undoubtedly Lawful Good.

❖ HISTORY Raised on the male-only Valsozn planet of Iitua, Nieko began his youth like all others of the planet. He attended the esteemed Iitua Academy, an academy that tried to place students in their classes and lectures based on skill more so than age. However, to keep the classes balanced, a rule was put in place--only a small, exceptional group of students could be placed in a grade level higher than their age.

Although smart, Nieko wasn't quite so lucky. In fact, he was actually bumped down a few grades. This wasn't done as an insult. It was per special request of his father, who wished to train him in the ways of ninjutsu prior to his education. As such, Nieko was held back for two years, to help him hone his meditation abilities. From the ages of 3 to 7, Nieko would sit in silence beside his father, learning the ways of the Colte. Although he hated the isolation, Nieko treasured the time he spent with his father. This would later amplify when, at the age of 7, his father vanished without warning from his life and he would never see the man again.

Having no on-planet mother, for women were not allowed in Iitua, Nieko spent the summer wandering the streets alone. Then, one day, a man by the man of Da'an Mydrim happened upon the lost and lonely boy. Unable to allow the child to wander and live alone, Da'an took him in. Unbeknownst to Nieko, Da'an was a teacher at the Iitua Academy. Adopting Nieko as his own, Da'an enrolled the brunette in the finest academy on the planet.

Nieko began his classes at 7 years of age, whereas the others in his class were only 5 or 6. He thought nothing of it for this was the first time he had any real interaction with children his age. In fact, Nieko enjoyed it and often found that the others tended to come to him when they needed help tying or fixing things.

Too bad that all changed when a new kid by the name of Varun joined the class. The six year old managed to turn all the kids against Nieko, ostracizing him to the point of isolation. Learning to adore the isolation, Nieko trained hard and learned fast, hoping that he might be able to advance a few levels to escape the bully Varun.

Such was not the case though. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Day after day, he was tormented by Varun and his thugs. There was little the academy could do about it either for Iitau was all about producing the finest of men--both brilliance and strength wise.

Nieko's luck didn't start to turn around until the age of 14. The class dynamics had changed some but, for the most part, Nieko was still tormented and picked on by other kids. If only those kids knew that Nieko's soon-to-be best friend would bring about a change no one saw coming....

On his walk home one day, Nieko decided to take the longer, more scenic route back home. This route brought him past a large farm, one he often enjoyed buying vegetables at. While sauntering past it, his eyes glazed over a figure working in the fields. Based on the size and stature, Nieko instantly realized it was a child.

Having no respect for private property, he bounded over the fence and immediately found himself face to face with a black haired boy with taunting, soulless red orbs. His name was Rroy.

"What's your name?" Nieko asked.

"Skytun, Rroy Skytun" the kid replied.

"Well don't you worry, Rroy. You and I will be the bestest of friends."

"Tch, I don't need fri--"

Compelled by compassion, Nieko embraced the raven. And, despite the death glare he received, Nieko found it enduring, firmly believing that Rroy and he would become lifelong friends.

After their first encounter, Nieko wasted no time in getting the boy enrolled at his school. Although 6-years younger than he, Nieko was able to convince the academy to let the boy join his class. Besides, it's not like Rroy would be the only 8 year old in the 12 through 14 years of age class.

Although Rroy ignored everyone for the most part, the raven did pay special attention to Nieko. It was one day while they were in the courtyard that all were made aware of the fact that this Rroy-Nieko bond was a force not to be reckoned with.

Varun, deciding he needed to put Nieko back in his spineless place, started throwing stones at the lithe boy. Stone after stone didn't seem to break Nieko but the taunting, hurtful names slowly chipped away at his core. Unable to bear it anymore, the tears spilled over and he found himself begging for death. There was only so much bullying a boy could take. Besides, it wasn't like anyone was going to miss him. He was an orphaned boy without and real friends.

As Varun moved in for the kill--Iitua Academy does not condone killing; it states that if a boy is killed, it is because he is not fit to wear the Valsozn name--Nieko quivered his lip. He knew this was the end for him. Sure, he had mastered his breath of fire, but he was no match for the boy of water. Sorrow in his eyes, he bowed his head and held his breath. Any minute now, water would cascade over him, sucking away the life he had.

Only, no such thing happened.

Confused, Nieko found the courage to let his eyes seek out his attacker. There, before him, stood an awe-struck Varun. His jaw was completely ajar and jutting from his hands was not the water he controlled but rather... ice?

Hiking up a brow, Nieko shuffled away. Why... why was there ice? Panic, much like the panic in Varun's eyes, caused him to gleam over every student in the courtyard. No one. No one fit the bill. And then, as his eyes shifted behind him, a chill ran down Nieko's spine. His heart skipped a beat and a cold sweat clung to his face. Clammy and fearful, his orbs locked with that soulless red set.

"R-r-rroy?"

Based on his position alone, it was plain as day that Rroy was the master of this battle. His hand, clenched and taut, controlled the ice that froze Varun's fatal attack. A small smirk pulled on his lips. The wind danced in his hair, casting black shadows across his already satanic features.

"Lay a hand on him and I will kill you."

From that day on, Nieko never had to worry about bullying. In fact, Varun apologized to him, asking if they could be friends. Nieko, not being the type to hold grudges, willingly said yes. He also befriended a few other students that year--Arvin, Melik, and Fritz. The six of them would become an unstoppable force and, perhaps, the most powerful set of Valsozn to graduate from the academy in quite some time.

Never forgetting what Rroy had done for him, on his 16th birthday, the Day of Commitment, Nieko branded himself with the Mark of the Skytun. Rroy never asked for it, but Nieko didn't care. Henceforth he would, and shall forever be, a servant to the young Skytun. He would be not only a friendly, but also a tool who would fight fiercely beside him.

In the years that came, Nieko would prove his loyalty time and time again. The bond between Colte and Skytun became a powerful one. They learned to speak without speaking. Their friendship deepened and, at one point, almost became something romantic. However, upon conversation, the two decided their relationship was best as a platonic one. Still, that didn't stop them from casually flirting from time to time.

To this day, the two of them are still best friends. Nieko has truly taken on the title of Rroy's right hand man and he could not be happier. Rroy completed his ninjutsu training and give Nieko purpose. Whatever vision Rroy had, Nieko had it too. Although the means of achieving it varied from time to time, Nieko always did whatever was requested of him. And right now, that request is to kill those who murdered his fiancée.

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