Volkmar Etruka
TheLadyAnatola
- Created
- 8 years, 9 months ago
- Creator
- TheLadyAnatola
- Favorites
- 27
Basic Info
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Name
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Zilvolkmaraz Etruka
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Nicknames
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Legal name is/introduces himself as Volkmar; sometimes shortened to Volk; known as the Diva by some of his bandmates, particularly Fathom
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Age
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14 at start of main story; typically depicted while he's 16; older versions typically around 21 or so
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Species
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Dyric Rytilian Demon Twiva
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Element
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Eterniti, but his rifting network remains dormant so far
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Occupation
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Singer and musician
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Gender
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Male
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Sexuality
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Bisexual
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Significant Other
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Alec Dalian (best friend/crush/eventual boyfriend)
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Creation Year
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2005
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Soul Tune
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Darling Devil Mirror
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Family
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Zymatthiazin Etruka (father), Ursula Zweiger (mother, deceased), Oskar Zweiger (uncle/legal guardian), Conner and Linsey Zweiger (cousins), Hanna and Victor Dracouski (aunt and uncle), Abigail Zweiger and Klaus Dracouski (cousins), Jana and Waldemarr Zweiger (grandparents)
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Birthplace
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Berlin, Germany - Taliac
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Current Home
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Omaha, NE, USA - Taliac
Profile
Physical Appearance
- Long blond hair to hips, almost exclusively worn in a ponytail
- Yellow slitted eyes, although he often wears blue contacts in public to draw less attention to them
- Fair skinned on the pale side
- 5’8” in height (shorter at start of narrative)
- Relatively physically fit, although a bit on the slender side
- 4 piercings per ear
- Sharpened canines
- Has a second set of fangs behind them that fold in like snake fangs
- Skin tends to be rough or dry unless he moisturizes frequently
- Usually has very sharp nails unless he keeps on top of maintaining them
Clothing Style
Despite being the lead singer of a band, Volkmar prefers to dress very simply and doesn't have a lot of variation to his outfits. He almost always is seen wearing some kind of black shirt along with his favorite jean jacket, which is rather old and faded. He most often wears a black tank top with his jacket, but when not wearing his jacket he will usually wear a t-shirt or some kind of long sleeved shirt instead, since he doesn't particularly like showing off much of his skin. The rest of his outfit usually consists of jeans and simple black shoes or boots. His jeans are usually some shade of blue, but occasionally he'll wear black jeans instead. He sometimes accessorizes with belts around his waist and sometimes simple bracelets or studded armbands. He rarely goes without his two necklaces though: one is a necklace featuring a snake and arrow motif with the latch being the arrow going through the snake's mouth, and the other is a black leather spiked choker.
During performances he may dress slightly more edgy or include a few more accessories, but he generally keeps his overall look about the same. The only really noticeable difference is that he usually doesn't wear his usual jean jacket while performing. When at home he tends to dress about the same but just more cozy. He usually still wears some kind of black shirt, and he will probably wear more comfortable pants like sweatpants or pajama pants if he doesn't plan on leaving the house. Colors other than black that he tends to lean toward are green, blue, or red, although usually only in darker shades. When in public, his black shirts are usually plain, but at home he will wear some graphic tees that feature designs of bands he likes or just general motifs he prefers. He tends to dress rather warmly at home, especially when going to bed, since he has issues about using blankets while sleeping and dresses warmly to compensate.
Personality
Volkmar is a rather cynical and serious young man who comes off as rather arrogant and cold toward those he doesn't trust. When interacting with strangers or people he's not emotionally invested in, he tends to be rather sardonic and blunt with his speech, and he comes off as a bit elitist since he usually acts like other people aren't worth his time. He's closed off to most people, even those whom he becomes more comfortable with, and he is very slow to trust since he is extremely hesitant to reveal any weaknesses or vulnerabilities to anyone else. Due to a past of unseen Eksel tormenting him emotionally, he is very self conscious and is rather quick to get defensive or hostile when he feels overly scrutinized or criticized. Since he frequently interacts with Eksel, either Abel or other ones that approach him, it is very common to catch Volkmar staring off at nothing in particular or talking "to himself." He tries to be more subtle about it when possible, but sometimes more malicious Eksel can warp his perception of the world and cause him to behave strangely or erratically.
Those who he gets more at ease with with notice he's a rather curious and artistic boy who tends to channel any positive energies he has into music. If he's not being sharp tongued and wary, his speech can be rather poetic and eloquent, especially through his music. Volkmar prefers to keep to himself, although when it comes to his very close friends he'd rather be in their company. Since his life is complicated enough, he really enjoys doing simple things with his friends and having normal conversations rather than doing anything overly exciting, and he tends to withdraw when there's too much excitement going on around him. He tends to come off as jittery if he's not allowed to either roam freely or to have his own space in peace.
Volkmar just seems to stay in his comfort zone when possible since there are so many outside factors that constantly push him out of it. He wasn't very social growing up, so he comes off as cold in most social situations or just awkward if he's forced to interact against his will. He doesn't care if his speech is harsh with random strangers, but he struggles a bit to be less sharp tongued around his friends. He speaks more normally around his relatives, but he's not used to having friends so he's still adjusting to being more open and less defensive around them. Despite his cold personality toward most people, he is rather soft on the inside. He harbors many insecurities, especially about his appearance and his performance in anything he does, and although he'll initially be closed off and cold, he can warm up toward those who are patient and open minded with him.
Abilities
- Eterniti rifting - rank 0/5, is unaware of his rifting element and has been unable to use any rifting abilities
- He is a little sensitive to other sources of Eterniti rifting, but the element is very uncommon and he hasn't encountered any sources yet.
- Devil Whispering - the ability to see and hear Eksel
- Telepathic and blood connection to his guardian devil
- Slightly accelerated regeneration and mildly increased strength due to demonic aura, although it only flares up when extremely stressed
- Has several traits/abilities from his Rytilian half, including thermal vision and venomous bites with two types of venom
- Fluent in both German and English
- Skilled in singing and playing guitar, piano, and flute; proficient in playing drums and a few other instruments he's learning, such as violin
Strengths
- Persistent, determined, and focused on his goals
- Creative, artistic, and clever
- Instinctual, sensing, and resourceful
- Resilient, bold, and fierce
Weaknesses
- Severe claustrophobia and general instability brought on by paranoia and lack of sleep
- Tends to be in his own world and ends up distracted easily if he doesn't have a task set out in front of him
- Cold, closed off, irritable, and socially awkward
- Mistrustful, hot tempered, defensive, and very self conscious
Backstory
Volkmar was born in Germany to Ursula and Matthias Etruka. He never knew his mother since she died from complications during his birth, and his father traveled with him to the US to leave him in the care of Ursula's brother, Oskar Zweiger. Oskar shortly after moved back to Germany and raised Volkmar alongside his own two children, Conner and Linsey. They lived with Oskar‘s parents, who assisted him in caring for the three children since Oskar had recently divorced Conner and Linsey's mother. Volkmar's early childhood was relatively normal until a strange creature appeared one day. It was a creature that no one else could see, and as a toddler he had a difficult time properly conveying what he saw to anyone else.
This creature, whom he'd eventually learn was an Eksel (or devil, as they call themselves), started out simply watching and occasionally frightening or teasing him. As he got a little bit older though, the devil outright terrorized him with horrible hallucinations and nightmares, and the helpless boy could do nothing to find safety from the torment. At the age of six though, a young Eksel named Abel approached Volkmar and asked for him to enter a pact with him in exchange for his protection against the hostile devil. Although Volkmar had no idea what a pact was or what it entailed, he understood that Abel would chase away the other Eksel if he agreed, so he did. After that, Volkmar was finally able to find some peace.
Shortly after Volkmar seemed to settle down, Oskar decided to visit his older sister, Hanna, in the US for some time. His parents were starting to have a hard time taking care of themselves in their old age, and Oskar was uncertain if he could handle raising the three children on his own and also assist his parents with their living routine. Hanna insisted he visit for a while so she could help him figure out a solution and also meet the children for the first time. Unfortunately, Oskar was apprehended by federal agents during this visit to Hanna’s. Apparently Volkmar's father had committed mass murder shortly before leaving Volkmar with Oskar, and he was under suspicion of assisting him since he had moved out of the country immediately after. Oskar managed to use his power over Mana to escape and went on the run with the three children.
Most of Volkmar's childhood was spent on the run from the law, and unfortunately he started encountering new Eksel, many of which would attempt to harass him as well. Abel was always successful in fending them off, but Volkmar's reactions toward these unseen tormentors was often interpreted as odd behavior or potentially mental illness. This combined with their need to remain under the radar caused Volkmar to have no friends aside from his cousin, and his social skills remained lacking. The family was eventually caught years later in Omaha, Nebraska when Volkmar was fourteen years old. Before they were apprehended, Volkmar severely injured another child their age on accident in an attack that was only brought on by mental stress and manipulation by an Eksel. He was given a relatively short sentence to juvenile prison/rehab, and he ended up being cellmates with a boy his age named Alec Dalian. After a somewhat rocky start, they eventually became best friends, and Volkmar was able to open up to Alec about his mountain of secrets involving his heritage and his communication with devils.
Volkmar currently lives in Omaha in a somewhat secluded home near a small forest. During their time on the run, he and Conner would write music and make songs as one of the few hobbies they could carry out while constantly moving. Conner later met Fathom Shank, who often followed them or randomly encountered them on their travels across the US, and they would write and record songs with Volkmar on vocals, Conner on guitar, and Shank playing drums. Volkmar simply enjoyed making and performing music, but he had no objections when Linsey would record them and upload their music online. They also sometimes performed publicly while on the run, although the locations and events were always small and low-key to avoid too much attention and they never used their real names. They gathered a relatively healthy fanbase that only grew further once they settled in Omaha and picked up their current bass player, Jasper Moflin, and pianist, Lee Schmedrick. Volkmar is surprised at how popular they've gotten, and after picking up backup singers from friends of Jasper's sister along with more funds from other contacts, they've managed to create professional quality performances and recordings. Currently they're considering going on tour at some point in the near future, something Volkmar never really expected or wanted from the beginning, but he's not complaining since it gives them a way to ease the stress of providing for the household on Oskar.
Along with the exponentially growing success of his band, Volkmar's troubles with devils has grown as well. The frequency of Eksel that torment him has increased so much he has problems finding a moment of peace from them.
Trivia:
- Volkmar's original concept had him in a band on the run from the law since their music videos were extremely violent and depicted actual people being attacked by the band members. He was much more violent and unhinged in this version, and all the juvi kids (him, Ashley, Adeleida, and Alec) were a lot more "hardcore" in terms of their bad behavior and being legitimately violent and criminal originally.
- He wasn't named until a year or so after I created him, and he simply went by the prisoner number 24613. He was designed as simply a boy with a long ponytail that was always in a straight-jacket.
- His name comes from a list of German names given out in either an Intro to German class I took in 7th grade or the German 1 class I took in 8th grade. Volkmar was listed in the German Boy Names section and I thought it sounded cool.
- Volkmar's original violent concept was rewritten so he wasn't intentionally violent anymore, and him injuring someone severely on accident and ending up in juvi is a reference to this concept, but as a very watered down and non-malicious version.
- Has two types of venom he can inject through his fangs
- His canine teeth have very mild venom that can slow or disorient people he bites normally.
- His second set of snake fangs has a very fast acting venom that can kill in seconds depending on the size of the victim.
- Volkmar's body is not 100% capable of resisting the effects of his own venom since he is not 100% Rytilian; his mild venom doesn't really bother him beyond a slight tingling sensation, but his more potent venom can burn his mouth if he's not careful.
- He tends to mumble or lower his head when speaking to make his fangs less noticeable. He doesn’t care while he’s singing though, since he passes his “unnatural traits” off as a gimmick for his band appearance.
- His skin dries out rather easily due to being part-Rytilian. For this reason he's a bit obsessive about his skin care and always tries to carry some lotion/moisturizer with him.
- He goes through mild shedding phases every season or so. He gets extremely irritable during this time and avoids contact with others since he finds it unattractive.
- His sharp nails are his primary weapon when he doesn't want to resort to his fangs and venom. His nails grow rather quickly and can be very sharp if he doesn’t maintain them regularly. If approached from behind when he's on edge, he may very well slash you in the face as a reflex.
- His snake and arrow necklace was apparently a gift from his mother to his father, and then from his father to him.
- The choker he always wears was a gift from Adeleida, and it somewhat influenced his band mates to get matching chokers as well (primarily to make Jasper feel less self conscious about his own collar since he cannot remove it).
- His jean jacket used to belong to his mother, and while it isn't particularly made to be in a more "feminine" style, its buttons are on the left side rather than the right.
- He almost always wears it out when leaving the house, either wearing it on cooler days or sometimes tied around his waist on warmer days. As he outgrows it as an adult, he finally retires it from being worn outside, but he still keeps it in his room for sentimental purposes.
- He found the jacket while visiting Aunt Hanna's house, since it was something that his mother accidentally left at her house while visiting long in the past, and Hanna never got around to mailing it back to Germany for her before Ursula died. When Volkmar was told the jacket belonged to his mother, he asked to keep it, since he never got to meet her before. Hanna noted it still kind of smelled like her, so Volkmar took to that quite well as some small connection to his mother to get a feel for what she might have been like in even a tiny way.
- Volkmar hesitated to wash this jacket for a really long time because he didn't want it to smell different, but eventually he had to when it started getting too dirty from playing outside in it. Much later on, when Volkmar is able to visit his grandparents again in Germany, his grandmother gives him a leftover bottle of Ursula's perfume that she never had the heart to throw out or use up. Volkmar notes it does smell a lot like how the jacket smelled when he first got it, so he keeps it.
- Volkmar has a habit of biting his lip when nervous or thinking about worrisome things. He sometimes bites too hard when he's upset with himself, occasionally causing it to bleed due to his sharpened canines.
- When anxious, he also has a tendency to dig his nails into anything he can get his hands on. He's the type to be destructive with paper and tear things to little bits absentmindedly, usually straw paper, napkins, or anything else of the like.
- He sometimes will tear at his own sleeves if he has nothing else on hand, which is why he usually wears short sleeves. He will not tear at his jean jacket though since he cares about it too much.
- He will also sometimes dig his nails into his own skin when he's upset with himself. He's not masochistic, but he often feels the unconscious need to punish himself in some way when he's not happy about his choices.
- Volkmar doesn't like technology that much and isn't all that in touch with trends or pop culture, which makes him seem a little naive about what's hip and happening with his age group.
- Has a flip phone and has no interest in getting anything more complicated.
- Very slow when using computers. Not a fast typer at all, and he greatly prefers taking notes or writing things in general by hand.
- German is his first language, and although he feels most comfortable speaking it he more often speaks English since he's lived in the US for the majority of his life.
- He is fully fluent in English and only has traces of a German accent with certain words.
- When surprised he tends to curse in German since it is more instinctual, and sometimes when under a lot of mental stress or when in a panic he will speak in German if his mind is racing too quickly for him to think about saying it in English instead. He also doesn’t find most English curses to be very satisfying to say and would rather curse in German anyway.
- He will often speak to Abel in German if he wants their conversation to be more private, since Abel is capable of understanding him regardless of what language he chooses to speak.
- Commonly speaks German in the house with his uncle and cousins.
- Volkmar has a very obvious habit of saying things rather bluntly to his friends, then pausing for a moment to rephrase it to be less harsh.
- If you're lucky enough to be considered a close friend to him, you'll see his sensitive side along with his more light-hearted habits if he feels comfortable enough to not have to hide them. Volkmar tends to be a bit more playful and cheeky with those closest to him, and only these choice people get the chance to catch one of his rare smiles from time to time.
- His sense of humor is a little weird and hard to pin down, since he pretty much never tries to make jokes himself. Most jokes toward him tend to earn blank stares or he'll just completely ignore the humorous intent entirely and continue with the conversation as normal. Volkmar's completely aware that he's not really that funny in any sense and has no desire to be, and surprisingly he will not be offended if someone calls him or even his music boring, since he does not care either way about entertaining anyone but himself with his actions.
- Although he hates close contact with most people, he doesn't mind being close with his relatives or best friends. He's not particularly snuggly, but as long as they don't overdo it he's comfortable with them being in his personal bubble, especially when he's feeling down in the dumps.
- He's likely moody because he doesn't get enough sleep, but while he wants and needs to he dislikes having to sleep since it makes him incredibly vulnerable to both Eksel and physical threats.
- Since he doesn't sleep so often to the point where he exhausts himself, when he does end up nodding off he can sleep excessively long periods of time and sleeps very heavily.
- Very few things can actually wake him up, and he gets very anxious about sleeping due to both the terrible nightmares he gets from Eksel interference and also because he can't wake himself up easily if something dangerous occurs in real life.
- Volkmar refuses to fall asleep with anything covering him other than his own clothing, such as sheets or blankets.
- The feeling of them over him when he nods off always give him nightmares involving a particularly awful Eksel from his childhood.
- He will get seething mad at anyone who puts blankets over him while he's sleeping and causes him to have night terrors.
- On cool/cold nights he sleeps with either a heated blanket underneath him or a heat pad under his comforter since he can’t bundle himself up to keep warm. He always takes his heat pad with him while traveling just in case and gets irritable when he has to go without it overnight, even if it’s warm enough that he doesn’t necessarily need it. His heated blanket stays in his bedroom and is usually over his comforter while using it.
- It takes him a long time to eventually grow comfortable with sleeping under sheets/blankets again in his adult years, and even then he still has a low percentage of having those reoccurring nightmares again. It probably helps by that point he's found somebody willing to share a bed with him...
- Volkmar tends to sleep the most soundly when his father is in the area. He's not entirely sure why, but Zy's presence tends to scare off any Eksel that might be creeping on him. Even Abel says Zy's presence is extremely unsettling, but even he isn't sure why.
- He comes off as vain with how often he preens himself, and he gets very snippy with anyone that makes any remarks about it.
- He doesn't particularly want people to think he looks perfect, but rather he doesn't want any external "weaknesses" for people to perceive and poke fun at. After years of being the strange kid that talks to himself, his confidence is rather fragile and he feels that looking virtually perfect will give others less reason to bother him.
- Even though he puts a lot of effort into his appearance, he only does it to feel more comfortable with how other people might perceive him on a glance. He actually gets very uncomfortable if anyone stares at him for too long or compliments him on how he looks.
- Even when offstage he tends to wear basic makeup to make himself feel better about his perceived facial flaws, especially to cover up the dark circles under his eyes from severe lack of sleep.
- He never leaves the house without doing his makeup if possible, and unless you are very close with him, he is likely to throw you out of his house entirely if you dare to see him without it.
- He also takes very good care of his hair and dislikes it when people touch it without his permission.
- In a war with Linsey over her stealing his shampoo and swapping it out for her own (she remarks it must be the reason his hair is prettier than hers). For this reason his hair frequently smells like strawberries.
- If you mention the strawberry scent to him you will possibly be slapped, unless you're Alec. He only gets slapped if he makes it weird.
- Purposely buys strawberry scented shampoo after Alec offhandedly mentions it probably his favorite fruit scent, if he had to choose.
- His favorite color is blue. He prefers darker shades over lighter ones.
- His birthday is on August 13th.
- He really loves getting piggyback rides, but you're not allowed to actually point that out to him. Offering such a ride is an easy way for his family or close friends to convince him to go somewhere when he's feeling lazy or low energy. Conner or Linsey are usually the ones to offer.
- Sugar cookies are his favorite snack and are an easy way for his cousins to bribe him into doing things.
- He is very picky with his food and would rather go hungry than eat something he's not mostly satisfied with.
- His favorite foods include a lot a meats, particularly pork and chicken. He also likes a lot of different German cuisine from his childhood, although he doesn't eat a lot of it anymore unless his family makes it from scratch or they go to some of the authentic German restaurants in the area.
- Volkmar has eaten mice before, although it was mostly on impulse. He tried it at first while in juvi, and while he won't admit it, he actually thinks they're not that bad even with the fur. He's capable of swallowing a mouse whole, probably because of his Rytilian heritage.
- He's not a neat freak, but he dislikes messes, especially when it involves his living space or musical equipment.
- Has thrown numerous things like mic/music stands at Fathom when he leaves their practice area a mess or constantly messes up a cue they've gone over multiple times already.
- Very few things piss him off more than being interrupted during band practice.
- Cold weather makes him even more grumpy, if that's possible. Probably his snake-y side that desires warmth to regulate his body temperature.
- He has a fear of deep water due to being unable to swim and nearly drowning multiple times throughout his past.
- His cousins and even Alec have all offered to help him learn, but he has trouble even figuring out how to float or tread water because he can't remain calm enough when in water.
- Volkmar does not have a driver's license, for although he knows some of the basics, every time he tries to practice with his uncle or cousins an Eksel ends up interfering and distracting him in various ways, such as causing him to hallucinate or see things on the road incorrectly or simply blocking his view.
- Although Abel does his best to deal with such interference, it still doesn't keep Volkmar from being discouraged from trying, since he worries about hurting others or himself behind the wheel.
- Volkmar's severe claustrophobia formed due to a traumatic encounter with an Eksel while he was in solitary confinement at juvenile prison. He also hates straightjackets, and just seeing them can give him anxiety or set off his PTSD from the past experience.
- Even with medium sized rooms, if he is by himself stuck there for too long he may start to hallucinate the walls are closing in. He also tends to become less aware of other people around him and may imagine he’s dealing with the situation on his own.
- Although he normally can recover from regular scares or dangerous situations relatively easily, anything that sets off his claustrophobia will have him unstable and jumpy for hours. In the worst cases he completely shuts down and becomes mostly unresponsive to other people, and attempts to make contact with him will likely make him flinch violently and potentially lash out in fear. He has a harder time focusing on anything and differentiating what is and is not real or tangible, which is why it's so difficult to calm him down afterwards since he tends to be paranoid that his freedom from the enclosed space is only an illusion to get his hopes up.
- Volkmar has a whole lot of PTSD from all the terrible experiences in his life. The world just needs to be nicer to him and let him be for once. ^^;
- The list involved nearly drowning, falling off of a bridge, having a mental breakdown in solitary confinement, getting sexually harassed by another boy in the juvenile prison showers and later on by Koraki, getting trapped in a burning building, getting kidnapped by various people, and nearly getting murdered in a bunch of different ways, among other terrible things. This poor kid just needs a break.
- Had brown hair in his first design, although I never drew him any colored art before he was switched to blond
- I honestly do not remember ever making him a brunette, but it was written in his original hand-written profile
- Was not related to Zy when I first created him and was later made to be his son, solely on the basis that they had the exact same hairstyle. ^^;
- Volkmar's handwriting tends to be somewhat messy, and his letters tend to have particularly sharp angles at upper strokes and more elegant curves at the bottoms of the last letters of a word.
- His favorite animals are (unsurprisingly) snakes, and he's always wanted one as a pet.
- He eventually is given one by his father when he's a little older as a birthday gift.
- Before he gets a pet snake, he tended to sate his desire to interact with snakes through Anneliese's pet python. She would usually keep an eye on him while handling it, both because she should out of principle and also because she knows her python can get a little "clingy" and she might have to use her Gost rifting to get Volkmar out of being squeezed a little too hard.
- A small running gag involves him always playing a different instrument every time Alec visits him at his house. Initially he plays the instruments he is most skilled in and plays for his band, and he's most commonly seen playing piano, guitar, or flute at home. As time progresses, the instruments Alec catches him practicing get more and more obscure.
- Volkmar teaches himself to play violin for one specific song he wanted to write. No one else in the band knows how to play violin, so instead of seeking out some kind of guest musician to do a collaboration with, he decided the only option he had was to just get a violin and learn to play it himself. He gets very skilled at it out of pure perfectionism and stubborness.
- The song in question is normally arranged to be slow and melodic with violin and piano along with vocals, but Volkmar also made a second arrangement that is more intense and faster that includes the normal rock instruments of Etrukan Truth and a very overly-complicated violin solo that Volkmar wrote out of spite of the instrument being expensive and difficult to learn on his own. Because he apparently had to prove to the violin itself that he could learn how to play it not just well, but expertly.
- Volkmar seems to be allergic to a number of anesthetic drugs, so any medical procedures that require anesthesia have to be very careful about what they can safely use on him, since his list of drug allergies is relatively high.
- He's discovered he does not have an allergic reaction to chloroform, but only because of an incident he was drugged and kidnapped for an organization attempting to blackmail his father. He's not exactly happy about the discovery, but he's at least content that his kidnappers didn't accidentally kill him by drugging him with something he was allergic to.
- His first memory of encountering an Eksel was when he was very young and still living in Germany. He vaguely remembers sitting in a car seat and seeing a pitch black creature staring at him through the window of his uncle's car. This was the first Eksel to torment him and the same Eksel that caused Volkmar to enter a pact with Abel so he would chase it off from bothering him anymore.
- Ever since settling in Omaha, Volkmar tries to go on regular walks when the weather is pleasant enough. He tends to walk through the woods surrounding his house, although he'll sometimes walk to the next neighborhood over where Alec lives, since there are better sidewalks to stick to there.
- He thinks this is a good way to channel some energy out and also stay a little active rather than staying inside all the time. He takes the opportunity to clear his mind and do some deep thinking, or at least he does if there aren't any rogue Eksel currently bothering him.
- He also enjoys the view of the "overlook" behind his house, which is just a sharp decline with the house being at the top of a large hill. The decline is sharp enough that it would be too dangerous to walk down, so it's fenced off for safety, and Volkmar tends to refer to it as a cliff. The overlook provides a good view of some of the city along with the rest of the woods around and behind the house.
- Volkmar hates liars and dishonesty in general, which is another reason why he's a little self deprecating sometimes due to having to frequently lie about his supernatural heritage and ability to commune with devils. He would prefer to be open about his identity and issues, but he knows it would likely only cause more problems for him in the long run if he doesn't hide those traits from the non-supernatural society he lives in. He doesn't enjoy feeling like a hypocrite regarding this secrecy, but it's not exactly a good idea for him to be open about it to others anyway, so it's an unavoidable issue.
- He feels more at ease once he's enrolled at the Hateulots private schools, since it's a school for rifters and other non-Dyric denizens of Taliac. He's able to be more honest about who he is since everyone else in the school system is also supernatural in some way.
- Volkmar wouldn't say he reads a lot of books, but his favorite that he's read recently is Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.
- I actually read this book and wrote a critical analysis about it for the Creative Writing class I took in high school, in which my main writing assignments involved writing Clock Tower Fare. As part of the analysis, we had to write a small portion that related to our own writing piece for the class, so I did some comparing and contrasting of the relationship between the main characters, Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway, and the relationship between Volkmar and Alec. It focused around how both Jim and Volkmar allowed their curiosity to pull themselves and their friend into danger, and it was up to the protective and bold nature of Will and Alec to fight against this dark force to ultimately save them all from falling victim to it.
- I find it really funny that this section had a subtle focus on the strength of a "brotherly friendship" because some of my classmates in my Creative Writing class were "warning" against the notion that Volkmar and Alec's relationship could easily be misread as "more than just friendship," or in other words, "be careful of shipping." And yes, at the time, they were written to just be friends. But whoops, it's years later, and yup, I shipped them. It was probably meant to be if it was that obvious even before I started writing it that way. XD
- His first finished song he ever wrote and performed for Etrukan Truth is "What Would it Matter." He wrote it when he was relatively young, and he thinks the lyrics are a little angsty and simplistic now and not up to his current standards. He still is fond of the song since it was his first completed one, and he ends up remastering it into an acoustic version with slightly edited lyrics later on.
- Volkmar isn't particularly picky about musical genres he listens to and likes songs on an individual basis, typically dependent on the musical composition. He does have a slight preference for classical, rock, metal, and symphonic rock/metal.
- Sensitive to strong odors and dislikes high pitched noises.
- If ever asked to describe the story of his complicated family, he usually starts with "Well, it all started when my father was seduced by a mermaid."
- Fathom jokingly describes Volkmar to have "the voice of a fallen angel that sends teen girls into a tizzy." Volkmar has no idea what that is supposed to mean, but now it's a running joke that he just has the voice of a fallen angel.
- The running joke extends into the real world as well, along with his supposed ability to "glance back in time."
- Volkmar is both fascinated with and also afraid of fire. He thinks fire is entertaining in the sense that he likes candles, fireplaces, and campfires and enjoys watching how things burn, but he has a fear of uncontrolled fire. He only developed this fear when he was stuck in a burning building during his narrative, but I won't spoil when this happens.
- Volkmar never knew that Etrukan Truth had that many fans or was even known by other people until he met Adeleida and she showed him the fan site she made for them and how many people followed it. He was aware and fine with Linsey posting their songs and some videos on her blog, but he had no idea that anyone actually listened to it or that it had any fans at all. He just likes making music as a creative outlet and passion, so he doesn't actually care if other people like it or not. The fact that they have a fanbase is just a pleasant surprise.
- He's not terrible comfortable with the notion of "fangirls" like Addie that squeal over him and his bandmates, but he's gotten used to it over time. Doesn't mean he likes it, but it's normal at this point.
- Volkmar is particularly touchy about being described as "crazy," mostly because it dismisses what he experiences as something in his head rather than a real physical threat that could possibly kill him. He doesn't have any stigma against the stereotype of "crazy people" or mental illness in general, but he's had a lot of bad past experiences involving people that dismiss him as crazy and just imagining things.
- It is entirely possible that Volkmar also suffers from some form of psychosis, but he's been tormented by devils for so long that he cannot tell the difference between what is in his head and what he is being manipulated into perceiving by an outside force. He is very certain that all his problems are from Eksel interference, and while yes, the Eksel do cause a lot of problems for him, some of his problems might actually be from mental illness that he could get help for.
- He probably doesn't start to accept he may have mental problems and that not everything he experiences is caused by Eksel interference until later in his twenties. By that point, Abel has become a stronger Eksel and has a better understanding of his own powers, and he can better detect other Eksel and determine if they are or aren't affecting Volkmar. Volkmar can then determine that maybe some of the things he experiences are from either mental illness or PTSD, and he is encouraged by his family to seek help for it.
- Volkmar as a child was very defensive about being called weird or crazy, and although it still irritated him as a teenager while growing up, he only got more levelheaded about the topic while in juvi where he regularly had meetings with the warden, who was a trained psychologist. Volkmar had regular therapy sessions with him, and fortunately the warden was very good at making him feel valid about his experiences and letting him know that he wasn't "a crazy that needed to be locked up" like he feared, but rather he was "a troubled boy who needed help and understanding rather than dismissal." He was also the first person Volkmar thought to reach out to for advice when he eventually decided to seek professional help as an adult.
- Volkmar tends to listen to his mp3 player when overstimulated or to drown out whatever is happening to him. He'd rather listen to music to calm down that deal with anything pressing if he's too stressed out to deal with it.
- He tends to come off as paranoid or overly wary in most situation, and it's rather common to see him listening to his music through his headphones to calm himself down or simply keep himself from getting too worked up in the first place.
- This sometimes has the negative effect of making him less aware of legitimate threats, but it does benefit his peace of mind when in situations where there are only perceived threats.
- "I've already tasted every pain of fatality, and I'd rather not get addicted."
- When traveling with the band and his family (usually for performance related trips), if they have to stay at a hotel, they usually end up getting two rooms to accommodate them all. Volkmar wouldn’t consider himself close enough with any of the other band members except for Conner to share a bed with any of them.
- This means since most hotel rooms typically only have two beds at most, he usually ends up in a room with Linsey and Oskar while the other band members stay in the other room. Linsey usually insists on having a bed of her own (usually joking she doesn’t want to get any boy cooties from anyone else), and since Conner is comfortable enough sharing a bed with anyone in the band, Volkmar usually ends up sharing a bed with Oskar by default.
- This doesn’t seem weird to him both because they’re family and he considers Oskar to be basically a father-figure in the absence of his real dad, but also because it was very common for Volkmar as a child to go crawling into his uncle’s bed when he was frightened by Eksel or nightmares, and Oskar was always comforting toward him and let him sleep next to him so he would feel safe. Obviously Volkmar’s old enough that he doesn’t do this anymore, but there’s no foreignness to sleeping next to family members.
- Volkmar will sometimes accidentally refer to Oskar as “Vati,” but usually only if he’s very tired or stressed. He typically only calls his father that (since Vati/Vater means daddy/dad in German), but he does consider Oskar to be very much like a father to him since Zy is usually absent in his life and Oskar raised him from infancy.
- Volkmar is a little self conscious about accidentally referring to Oskar as his father, both in the sense that he feels like he’s dismissing his real father and also somewhat imposing the role on his uncle, but Oskar obviously has no issues with it and considers Volkmar to be his own.
- Throughout his life he's worn his hair in a low ponytail, and he only starts wearing it in a higher ponytail as an adult. Low ponytails are just easier and quicker to do, and Volkmar doesn't put nearly as much effort into styling his hair as he does in perfecting the rest of his appearance. He only started wearing his hair up in a higher ponytail after Adeleida put it up that way for fun while he was hanging out with his friends, and she and Alec commented it looked good that way.
- Both he and Conner really enjoy karaoke, although Volkmar is somewhat picky about which songs he will sing in front of people.
- Old Charahub blurb: "Half Dyric and half Rytilian Demon, he converses with and combats the devils that follow him and plot to claim his soul."
- Original file number: 81
- New file number: 303
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