[hider= Niko Tepes | Vampire]
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[center][sub][color=#AA91D2]Niklaus Aleksander Tepes[/color]  [color=#AA91D2]|[/color]  Pansexual Polyamorous  [color=#AA91D2]|[/color]  [color=#AA91D2] AA91D2[/color]  [color=#AA91D2]|[/color]  Pureblood Vampire  
[color=#AA91D2]✧[/color] ✧ [color=#AA91D2]✧[/color] ✧ [color=#AA91D2]✧[/color] ✧ [color=#AA91D2]✧[/color] ✧ [color=#AA91D2]✧[/color] ✧ [color=#AA91D2]✧[/color] ✧  

[color=#AA91D2]20[/color]  [color=#AA91D2]|[/color]  Cis Male  [color=#AA91D2]|[/color]  [color=#AA91D2]5’11[/color]  [color=#AA91D2]|[/color] 3rd Year - New Transfer
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☀ [color=#AA91D2]Ambitious[/color] | Bold | [color=#AA91D2]Determined[/color] | Loyal | [color=#AA91D2]Adaptive[/color]
☁ [color=#AA91D2]Spoiled[/color] | Contentious | [color=#AA91D2]Unstable[/color] | Disobedient | [color=#AA91D2]Leisurely[/color]
[color=#AA91D2]▿[/color] ▵ [color=#AA91D2]▿[/color] ▵ [color=#AA91D2]▿[/color] ▵ [color=#AA91D2]▿[/color] ▵ [color=#AA91D2]▿[/color] ▵ [color=#AA91D2]▿[/color] ▵ [/sub]

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[sub][b]LIKES[/b][/sub]
Fresh blood — [color=gray][i]always[/i] from a willing source[/color]
Fencing — [color=gray]ironic mockery turned into a fond hobby[/color]
Socializing — [color=gray]life is better surrounded by loved ones[/color]

[sub][b]DISLIKES[/b][/sub]
Authority — [color=gray]question everything and push boundaries[/color]
Silence — [color=gray]quiet moments alone are most unpleasant[/color]
Inefficiency — [color=gray]work smarter, not harder[/color]

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[/cell][cell][sub][b][color=#AA91D2] s k í l l s  &  w є α k n є s s є s [/color][/b][/sub]
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[sub][b][color=#AA91D2]SKILLS[/color][/b][/sub]
[sub]♔ [color=gray]Sword and Hand[/color] — Niko thinks swordplay is one of the most useless, outdated fighting skills, but Dmitri insisted that all of his children learn and master the art of the blade, as well as hand to hand combat, should they ever find themself disarmed.
♔ [color=gray]Good Looks and a Silver Tongue[/color] — So far, there’s not a single lick of trouble that Niko has gotten himself into and not been able to charm his way out of. How could you say no to such a handsome prince? With practice and focus, this could be wielded as a powerful form of compulsion, but he hasn’t bothered to try honing such powers yet.
♔ [color=gray]Speed and Strength[/color] — Although Niklaus has no idea why, he is much faster and stronger than his elder siblings. Whenever he spars with them, he almost always comes out the victor, much to their chagrin and his father’s pride. The reason behind these heightened abilities is held within the secret of his blood — he is not only Tepes, but half Drakuli, an older and far more potent vampire bloodline.[/sub]

[sub][b][color=#AA91D2]WEAKNESSES[/color][/b][/sub]
[sub]☠ [color=gray]Codependent[/color] — Without the constant, calming presence of his older sister, Niko is a ticking time bomb of emotional instability and neuroses. He’s never been away from Kasania for more than a few weeks and, unless he finds someone new to attach to and distract himself from [i]himself[/i], he teeters dangerously close to some sort of breakdown.
☠ [color=gray]Disowned[/color] — The Tepes children were raised as royals, sheltered from cruel realities by the seemingly endless comforts of the Tepes family legacy. In the king’s eyes, this has made his heirs weak, and no son of Dmitri Tepes should [i]ever[/i] be seen as weak, not of blood nor of mind. As such, Niklaus has recently been cut off from the benefits he’s always known and has been sent across the globe to complete his academic training in Europe, without wealth, and more importantly, without the emotional support of his sister. This will be the greatest test of his life thus far, but it’s bound to be temporary, as he plans to fully exceed his father’s expectations and return home.
☠ [color=gray]Uninformed[/color] — Niklaus was born and raised into the upper echelon of vampiric society in New York City. He knows very little outside of being a Tepes prince, and even then, he is ignorant of the intricacies of the politics and strategies that his father implements to maintain control and power for their family. Niklaus doesn’t even know who his real mother is, let alone that the woman he has always called ‘mother’ is [i]not[/i], he’s been left in the dark in nearly all things. Until he proves himself to his father, he’s more pawn than prince.[/sub][/color]

[sub][b][color=#AA91D2]PERSONALITY [/color][/b][/sub]
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[sub][color=gray]Niklaus has lived a life where he has wanted for very little in terms of material things, and in that aspect he could be considered [color=AA91D2]spoiled[/color]. However, he has struggled since childhood with his feelings of self-worth. While his father might have doted on him, his mother never did. Sometimes she just neglected him, other times she was blatantly cruel. For whatever reason, he was forced to feel like less than his other siblings. An accident. An unwanted child. A mistake. Because of this, Niko began to challenge authority. He questioned everything and resisted the traditional values of his family — if they were what it meant to be a Tepes, he would make sure his voice was heard speaking against them. Niklaus can be quite [color=AA91D2]argumentative[/color] and frequently gets in disagreements with his father, which on the outside might color the young prince as being [color=AA91D2]ungrateful[/color] of the privilege he was born into. But to Niko, being born with a silver spoon in his mouth wasn’t worth shit if it left such a bad taste on his tongue. Niklaus is determined to right what he sees as wrong, to call out what he disagrees with, and to strive towards [color=AA91D2]perfection[/color], even as it cripples him. While others might simply see him as a naive, [color=AA91D2]rebellious[/color] teenager, Niko believes himself to be nobly [color=AA91D2]bold[/color]. He’s fighting for what he believes is right, and he’s [color=AA91D2]stubborn[/color] in those beliefs. 

Lastly, whether it be a fluke or a result of his mixed pureblood heritage — some of the older ‘royal’ bloodlines used to practice inbreeding — Niko was born a bit… [i]touched[/i]. Niko frequently finds himself a slave to his [color=AA91D2]deranged[/color] obsessions — habits, thoughts, sounds, and people. The last is the most notable, as Niklaus has a penchant for latching onto interesting traits of people, particularly humans, and going so far as to watch them from the shadows to learn everything there is to know about them. In this light, one might consider Niklaus a bit of a madman. Humanity is [i]his[/i] to study and toy with, and only the best will survive to ascend to a place by his side. Although Niko might be what most would call crazy, [i]‘by his side’[/i] is quite a good place to be, as he is the most [color=AA91D2]loyal[/color] friend and ally. Niklaus would stop at nothing to protect those he cares for, the very select few they may be.[/color][/sub]

[sub][b][color=#AA91D2]OUTLOOK / IDEALS / PERSPECTIVE [/color][/b][/sub]
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[sub][color=gray]Niklaus was born an heir to the Tepes family legacy, the youngest of the brood, so of course his loyalty lies with his kindred. He may not always agree with his father’s traditional sentiments, but there is strength and power in the pure vampiric blood of his family that Niko wouldn’t trade for the world. The young prince loves interacting with other vampires and, unlike his father, he doesn't care if they are pureblooded, the rare turned, or the even [i]rarer[/i] halfbreed. He has close friends amongst other families, some of which would gladly see his family dethroned as kings of New York to rise from their lower stations. The so-called ‘weaker’ bloodlines of his peers mean little to Niklaus, as they all share the same vampiric ancestry. 

Due to Niko’s… peculiarities... he has an interesting attitude towards humans. He sees mortals as experiments and playthings, a resource not only for food, but for entertainment to pass the endless sands of time. As for werewolves… Niklaus hadn’t even encountered one in person until his 1st year in Hemlock Academy, nestled amongst the quiet Adirondacks, far from the great metropolis he called home. Nikolaus hasn’t had enough time to form a full opinion on them, they seem alright enough, perhaps a bit smelly at times. Mages, though? He’s unfortunately quite familiar with their breed and finds the lot a bit too pushy and sanctimonious for his liking. Pretentious, but in a boring kind of way. They’re like the LaCroix of humanity — sparkling mortals that leave one thirsty for a bit more… [i]flavor[/i].[/color][/sub]

[sub][b][color=#AA91D2]AMBITIONS[/color][/b][/sub]
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[sub][color=#AA91D2] ➽[/color][color=gray]➽[/color][color=#AA91D2]➽[/color] [color=gray]Being just a baby in the grand scheme of the vampire world, Niklaus is still trying to figure out what he wants to accomplish with his eternal life. On the short term, he has been on the hunt for a perfect human specimen. His intention is to find this human and to create his very first turned vampire. His forbidden desire is to then continue this process until he has surrounded himself with a collection of powerful, perfect creatures. A family of his own creation. For the long term, Niklaus hopes to one day ascend as head of House Tepes. As a king of New York, he would have the power to rewrite all of the traditions that he disagrees with and build upon a created vampire culture that he deems as perfect in his own mind, twisted as it may be. Vampirism, especially his bloodline, is a gift, and gifts are meant to be shared. Archaic laws formed millennia ago by self-righteous witches, however… Well, some rules are meant to be broken.[/color][/sub]

[sub][b][color=#AA91D2]FEARS[/color][/b][/sub]
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[sub][color=#AA91D2] ➽[/color][color=gray]➽[/color][color=#AA91D2]➽[/color] [color=gray]Surprisingly enough, Niklaus has many fears. He is well aware of the fact that his mind works differently than most, and he fears completely losing himself to madness. Although he is constantly bickering with his kingly father, Niko fears one day pushing it too far and losing the support of his family completely — a fear that his father’s latest [i]test[/i] has brought painfully to light. He fears the cruelty and endless disappointment of his mother. He fears failure, weakness, and his death. He fears his friends dying or turning their backs on him. Above all, he fears losing his sister, who is his conscience and his rock in this wild world and, in his words, ‘the only cool member of the Tepes family aside from myself.’[/color][/sub]

[sub][b] [color=#AA91D2]в í σ g r α p h ч[/color] [/b][/sub]
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[hider=▿ ▵ ▿ ▵][color=gray]Dmitri Tepes is a proud man whose legacy means everything to him. Years before he became the king of New York, he had been grooming his family for such a position. He took a beautiful pureblood vampire as a wife. He had two strong sons and a gorgeous daughter. Despite her beauty and own innate strengths, the latter was a disappointment to Dmitri. There was no familial honor to be gained in having daughters. Only sons could pass on the Tepes name. Only sons could grow Dmitri’s empire and secure his family’s rule. The closer he got to ascending to the head of the Tepes family and to kingship, Dmitri became even more obsessed with having male heirs. Fearing that procreating with his wife would result in yet another daughter, the king-to-be began to look elsewhere.

Not just any concubine would do for Dmitri, however. If a woman was to bear him a son, she would have to be perfect. Pure of blood and strong. Dmitri didn’t have to look very far to find her, Jezebel was right in his city. She was one of the last descendants of the great house Drakuli, an ancient vampiric bloodline dating back to before the Moot. He courted the beautiful royal, treating her with all the kindness of a perfect gentleman. In time, she was with child, and birthed Dmitri his third son — Niklaus Tepes. Aside from Dmitri, his wife, and the Drakuli mistress, Niklaus’ true parentage has remained a royal secret.

Although most of the family was none the wiser, from the first moment that Niklaus’ cries pierced the halls of the Tepes estate, he was different. While his parents and siblings all had dark brown hair, his was fair, verging on blond in certain lights — especially as a young child. He did have the Tepes blue eyes, but the secrets of his bastard heritage could be found in the creeping brown of his heterochromia. He was a beautiful baby that grew into an even more charming boy. Charming or not, there was one member of the Tepes family that could not stand his presence. His ‘mother’. She loathed that Dmitri’s adulterous affair had bore fruit, and she took it out on Niklaus himself. Even after she had secretly ordered an assassination of Jezebel Drakuli, her jealousy never waned.

Had Niklaus not grown into a strong young vampire, always closely watched over by his proud father, the jealous queen might have tried to kill him too. Instead, she did the only thing she was capable of: she treated him like yesterday’s garbage. She was neglectful and cruel to him, ensuring that he never believed that he was better than her own children, despite what Dmitri might think. His Drakuli blood meant nothing. [i]He[/i] meant nothing. If not for the loving heart of his sister, who just so happened to overhear her father and mother arguing about Niko’s bastardry one night, Niklaus might have grown up to believe those horrible things his mother said about him to be true.

Kasania was his guardian angel. Niko’s older sister shielded him from their mother’s cruelty and offered the maternal love that he needed to not fall too deep into the madness that creeped at the edges of his mind. With her support and his father’s rigid combat training, Niklaus eventually grew himself a backbone. In recent years, he now feels the confidence to speak out against the injustice that he has felt being a part of the Tepes family. Both he and Kasania have been taught to know what it feels like to be considered less than, albeit by the opposite parents, so together they have stood with their hands held in the shadows of rebellion. Nia stood up for him when he was young and weak, and he returned the favor by protecting her biggest secret — that she fancied only women and would never have heirs of her own. Father would be furious if he ever learned of that, so Niko made sure he never would.

Moving upstate to attend the Academy hidden deep in the forests of the Adirondacks had been a learning experience in many ways. It was Niklaus’ first time leaving the comforts of his sheltered upbringing and stepping into adulthood. It was his first time being away from Kasania, but she visited often enough to keep him sane. He met so many people from all around the North American continent, encountered creatures and cultures beyond any he’d seen before, even in a melting pot as big as NYC. Just when he was starting to love the experience and find his strength and stride in the Academy, Dmitri had made the decision to test not just Niklaus, but all of his children. The entire Tepes brood was scattered across the globe, separated from each other with limited contact and even less financing. They would have to learn to make it on their own, but mere survival would not be enough, they would have to thrive in order to impress Dmitri. Niklaus isn’t sure what accomplishments he will need to achieve in order to be welcomed back home, and he fears what he might become without his sister’s light, but he aims to make the most of the new experiences to be had at Hawthorne Academy. Perhaps half a world’s distance from his toxic family is exactly the kind of healing he’s been needing. Perhaps the perfect human specimen has been waiting for him in a sleepy Scottish village all this time. Perhaps he’ll rule a kingdom of his own, having returned to the land of his old world ancestors. Only time will tell, as it always does.
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