Nicky Short
This is a short story about my character Nickolai Deman. This is his official backstory. Later on I plan on posting profiles and info about my characters so new comers who might happen upon these stories won't be lost.
Enjoy!
***
“Dad!” Nickolai wandered over to his father Efrit. Nickolai was a young child that was short for his age, and was the spitting image of his father - except for the blonde hair.
“What?” Efrit responded, tired from playing with his son all day. The boy seemed to have unlimited energy and insisted on having Efrit spend all of his romping around with him. He was ten years old; when was he going to grow out of playing tag?
Efrit was a single parent; his wife was frail and passed away shortly after giving birth to their son. As Nickolai never did make friends with other children, all of his love and limitless energy was concentrated on his father.
Nickolai frowned at him. “I’m hungry,” he announced.
Efrit sighed. “You’re old enough to make yourself a snack.”
Nickolai pouted at him before wandering off to make himself a sandwich.
*
The next day Nickolai noticed that his father was much quieter than usual. When he asked him about it, Efrit replied that it was nothing, placing a photograph of him and Nickolai’s mother facedown on the table. He had a pained expression on his face.
“…” Nickolai walked toward him and hugged his father tightly, earning him a small smile and a one armed hug in return.
Efrit remained quiet and thoughtful for most of the day, causing Nickolai to hover around him worriedly.
Finally Nickolai was sat down for an important talk.
“Son… I’m going to leave for a little while. I’m going to come back fast, though,” he adds immediately, as Nickolai already looked shocked and upset at this sudden news.
“Where are you going?” Nickolai asked, looking very much like he had just been told that he was being abandoned.
“I need to clear something up with Uncle Griever. It won’t take me long,” he reassured him again.
“But… Isn’t Uncle on Earth?” Nickolai had recalled from a previous conversation.
His father nodded. “Yes, that’s right. So with the time difference, it could be a couple of weeks for you.”
“But-!”
“This has to be done, son. You’ll be fine; I’ll be back home before you know it.” He offered him a smile.
“… Okay.” Nickolai nodded, still looking upset.
His father patted his head and wandered into the kitchen to make his son dinner before he left.
When the meal was ready, Nickolai ate it in silence, not really enjoying the food.
Afterward, Efrit hugged Nickolai tightly. “I’ll be back soon, Nicky,” he promised. “Love ya.”
“Love you too, Dad.” Nickolai returned the hug, not wanting to let go.
Efrit pried Nickolai’s arms off of him. “Be good,” he said and gave him a small wave.
And with that, Nickolai was alone. His father -- and only playmate -- had left.
Over the next few days Nickolai basically just snacked - as he didn’t really know how to cook - and he spent most of his time outside to get out of the empty house.
After his father left, he had taken to carrying the hell hound stuffy that his father had given him when he was just three years old. He had stopped keeping it with him at all times when he had turned five, but now that he had been left alone, he clung to it like a lifeline.
The weeks passed slowly, but there was still no sign of Nickolai’s father’s return. By now Nickolai constantly held the stuffy with both arms, pressed against his chest. There were moments where was near tears from his loneliness, but he held them in, wanting to impress his father with his strength.
“Did you hear about what happened to Efrit Deman?”
Nickolai froze when he heard his father’s name. He turned and faced a small group of gossiping demons.
“No… what happened?”
“He challenged his brother for the right to be the next devil. A death match,” she added, much to Nickolai’s horror. She paused dramatically to keep her friends interested. “And he was killed.”
The hell hound stuffy Nickolai was clutching dropped into the dirt.
“D-Daddy…?”
*********
Lilly explored Nickolai’s room. This was the first time she had had the chance to look around her fiance’s bedroom. Normally when they were in here they’d be busy with other things.
“Your whole house is so clean, Nicky. I figured this would be the one messy room.” She smiled at him teasingly.
“Come on Pet, you know me enough that I couldn’t put up with a mess.” He returned the smile.
Lilly rolled her eyes at him. “You’re going to be in for a shock when we have kids.”
“I’ll manage,” he said, sounding a little doubtful himself.
Lilly continued looking around, picking up objects now and then to get a closer look. She then noticed a very old plush of a hell hound. It was shabby from age, but it stood out more than anything else in the room. Lilly walked over to it and picked it up, realizing then it was probably important, as it was the only object on the shelf.
Nickolai stood behind her, gazing at the toy with an unreadable expression. “My father gave that to me. I’ve had it since I was three.”
Lilly handled it carefully knowing now that it was definitely precious to him. She noticed a large portion of its fur was damaged from being soaked in tears. She fingered the damaged fur before returning it to its shelf. She turned to Nickolai, wrapping her arms around him. “When I move in tomorrow, you won’t be alone anymore.”
His arms slipped around her. He smiled, genuinely happy. “I know.”
***
Enjoy!
***
“Dad!” Nickolai wandered over to his father Efrit. Nickolai was a young child that was short for his age, and was the spitting image of his father - except for the blonde hair.
“What?” Efrit responded, tired from playing with his son all day. The boy seemed to have unlimited energy and insisted on having Efrit spend all of his romping around with him. He was ten years old; when was he going to grow out of playing tag?
Efrit was a single parent; his wife was frail and passed away shortly after giving birth to their son. As Nickolai never did make friends with other children, all of his love and limitless energy was concentrated on his father.
Nickolai frowned at him. “I’m hungry,” he announced.
Efrit sighed. “You’re old enough to make yourself a snack.”
Nickolai pouted at him before wandering off to make himself a sandwich.
*
The next day Nickolai noticed that his father was much quieter than usual. When he asked him about it, Efrit replied that it was nothing, placing a photograph of him and Nickolai’s mother facedown on the table. He had a pained expression on his face.
“…” Nickolai walked toward him and hugged his father tightly, earning him a small smile and a one armed hug in return.
Efrit remained quiet and thoughtful for most of the day, causing Nickolai to hover around him worriedly.
Finally Nickolai was sat down for an important talk.
“Son… I’m going to leave for a little while. I’m going to come back fast, though,” he adds immediately, as Nickolai already looked shocked and upset at this sudden news.
“Where are you going?” Nickolai asked, looking very much like he had just been told that he was being abandoned.
“I need to clear something up with Uncle Griever. It won’t take me long,” he reassured him again.
“But… Isn’t Uncle on Earth?” Nickolai had recalled from a previous conversation.
His father nodded. “Yes, that’s right. So with the time difference, it could be a couple of weeks for you.”
“But-!”
“This has to be done, son. You’ll be fine; I’ll be back home before you know it.” He offered him a smile.
“… Okay.” Nickolai nodded, still looking upset.
His father patted his head and wandered into the kitchen to make his son dinner before he left.
When the meal was ready, Nickolai ate it in silence, not really enjoying the food.
Afterward, Efrit hugged Nickolai tightly. “I’ll be back soon, Nicky,” he promised. “Love ya.”
“Love you too, Dad.” Nickolai returned the hug, not wanting to let go.
Efrit pried Nickolai’s arms off of him. “Be good,” he said and gave him a small wave.
And with that, Nickolai was alone. His father -- and only playmate -- had left.
Over the next few days Nickolai basically just snacked - as he didn’t really know how to cook - and he spent most of his time outside to get out of the empty house.
After his father left, he had taken to carrying the hell hound stuffy that his father had given him when he was just three years old. He had stopped keeping it with him at all times when he had turned five, but now that he had been left alone, he clung to it like a lifeline.
The weeks passed slowly, but there was still no sign of Nickolai’s father’s return. By now Nickolai constantly held the stuffy with both arms, pressed against his chest. There were moments where was near tears from his loneliness, but he held them in, wanting to impress his father with his strength.
“Did you hear about what happened to Efrit Deman?”
Nickolai froze when he heard his father’s name. He turned and faced a small group of gossiping demons.
“No… what happened?”
“He challenged his brother for the right to be the next devil. A death match,” she added, much to Nickolai’s horror. She paused dramatically to keep her friends interested. “And he was killed.”
The hell hound stuffy Nickolai was clutching dropped into the dirt.
“D-Daddy…?”
*********
Lilly explored Nickolai’s room. This was the first time she had had the chance to look around her fiance’s bedroom. Normally when they were in here they’d be busy with other things.
“Your whole house is so clean, Nicky. I figured this would be the one messy room.” She smiled at him teasingly.
“Come on Pet, you know me enough that I couldn’t put up with a mess.” He returned the smile.
Lilly rolled her eyes at him. “You’re going to be in for a shock when we have kids.”
“I’ll manage,” he said, sounding a little doubtful himself.
Lilly continued looking around, picking up objects now and then to get a closer look. She then noticed a very old plush of a hell hound. It was shabby from age, but it stood out more than anything else in the room. Lilly walked over to it and picked it up, realizing then it was probably important, as it was the only object on the shelf.
Nickolai stood behind her, gazing at the toy with an unreadable expression. “My father gave that to me. I’ve had it since I was three.”
Lilly handled it carefully knowing now that it was definitely precious to him. She noticed a large portion of its fur was damaged from being soaked in tears. She fingered the damaged fur before returning it to its shelf. She turned to Nickolai, wrapping her arms around him. “When I move in tomorrow, you won’t be alone anymore.”
His arms slipped around her. He smiled, genuinely happy. “I know.”
***