Past

Growing up, Nikolaus led a fairly normal life. He got good grades at his private Catholic school, he was a kind and generous child, and he lived in a charming, movie-perfect small town in Connecticut. Well, he was normal except for one thing- Nikolaus was an incredibly powerful medium. This talent lead to much headscratching, confusion, and worry as his non-magical family attempted to make sense of their otherwise healthy son's sudden drops in temperature and inexplicable cases of frostbite. Eventually, Nikolaus realized that no one would ever understand the root cause of his issues, and so instead learned to hide his gifts- avoid older buildings, don't bring up the temperature, and, above all else, don't let on that anything could be wrong.

This got significantly easier as he entered high school. With his much older sister off to grad school, Nikolaus's parents were around less and less, until by junior or senior year they became a non-presence in his life. Even among his peers Nikolaus was withdrawn, being just social and likeable enough to be well-thought of without ever trying to pursue anything outside of acquaintanceship. As the end of his time in school loomed on the horizon, it seemed like he had found the template for the rest of his life.

And then he met Damian.

Damian blew in one day on the heels of a storm, as mysterious as he was handsome. His hair, his voice, and his skin were dark and rich, and his eyes were a piercing gold that seemed almost inhuman in its intensity. He offered Nikolaus aid, to teach him about his powers and help him grow as a medium. At first, Nikolaus was suspicious- after all, who didn't grow up learning about stranger danger and things like that? But after Damian saved his life from a malevolent spirit, he reconsidered his offer.

From there, Damian and Nikolaus's relationship grew quickly, and soon Nikolaus regarded him as a trusted partner and friend. Even though his visits were sporadic, Nikolaus found in Damian someone to whom he could open up and trust entirely. It was freeing, and terrifying, and before long it grew into love, despite their age gap. Damian introduced Nikolaus to the world outside of the upper-middle class suburbia he had grown up in, and they even travelled to an extent thanks to the lack of any eyes watching what Nikolaus was doing or where he was going. Nikolaus finally felt like he belonged and had a purpose greater than just graduating through life without direction and hiding his talent, however dangerous said talent may be.

Which was why it was even more heartbreaking when Nikolaus learned the truth. Damian, for all his silvered words about making the world a better place by combating harmful spirits, had a different, darker, and far more personal purpose in mind. Damian was actual a millenias-old demigod, bound in mortal form for his crimes and seeking vengeance against the gods that bound him and the world at large. With Nikolaus's power as a medium at his disposal, Damian could bridge the gap between the spiritual and physical realm and more easily devour souls, making him stronger with each innocent spiritual life he snuffed out. Horrified to find he had been used in such a way, Nikolaus cut ties with Damian.

Nikolaus went on with his life and education, trying to live normally again now that he knew the truth. He debated trying to go back to his work as a medium solo, but the threat of it deterred him. He would be no good to anyone, least of all himself, if he was dead. He tried his best to instead give back in smaller ways. The world once again felt... distant. But the past has a way of catching up to you in a big way, even when everything feels so far off that it could be a dream.

Damian had been watching over him. Perhaps hoping to someday be able to get Nikolaus back on his side, perhaps out of lingering fondness. It's hard to say, really. What is easy to say, however, is what Damian's watchful eye wrought. Caught in the crossfire between Damian and his enemies, a casualty in a conflict not his own, Nikolaus died.

Present

Before he knew what Damian was, Nikolaus loved to listen to him talk. He could listen to his stories and advice for hours, because Damian was, above all else, a man who knew how to paint a picture with his words. When Nikolaus awoke six feet underground in a narrow, cushioned casket, he was intensely grateful that he'd been paying attention to the time that Damian had told him how to escape being buried alive.

He clawed his way out of his grave, emerging in his mud-soaked Sunday best into a rainy New England cemetery in the early hours of the morning. Staring at his headstone as the rain poured down, he knew that whatever life he had tried to lead up to that point was over. And so he started walking- it was the family plot, and he'd been here as a kid to put flowers on graves, so it was easy enough to find his way to the road. He walked and walked, the rain washing the mud from his clothes as best as it could. After a while of directionless trudging, a car slid up, driven by, perhaps, the coolest person Nikolaus had ever seen in real life. She had a snow-white mohawk, too-wide eyes, and a smile that somehow sat between devilish curiosity and motherly concern. Not having anywhere else to go, Nikolaus accepted her offer for a ride.

The Coolest Person Nikolaus Had Ever Met explained her name was Cliq, and, fixing him with her intense gaze, told him she was a changeling, and that he was obviously something interesting as well, and that she had a lot of friends who would probably love to meet whatever the hell he was. Nikolaus didn't really know what to do with an invitation like that, so he just accepted it, because it seemed more polite than saying no, and the worst thing that could happen was that he would die again. That was how he met Ganymede, and Ornias, and a slew of other people who knew of the fantastical world that Damian had only allowed him teasing glimpses of. They were kind, and welcoming, and with their help he started to build his life anew.

Then, like a cold you can't quite shake, Damian once again made his presence known in Nikolaus' life. This time, however, it was an accident. As fellow immortals, Ganymede and Damian had somewhat of a history of contentious friendship. Damian was stunned and relieved to see Nikolaus alive, but Nikolaus was understandably less thrilled. After all, wasn't all this that had happened because of Damian? Nikolaus resolved then and there to go stronger, and more skillful, and to grow as a person so that he could meet Damian toe-to-toe as... enemies? Old lovers? Something similarly cataclysmic? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything except for "Fuck that guy."

Future

As time went on, Nikolaus grew more confident, as both a medium and a person. As his powers grew, so did his confidence. Eventually, he and Damian even mended their relationship, although a certain level of playful animosity always remained. By that point, half the fun was the chase, the banter. He continued to hang out with Gany and co, experiencing the world and doing good when there was good to be done.

• Greatest Medium of his Era- Nikolaus's defining feature is his skill as a medium. Seeing, hearing, touching, and sensing the presence of ghosts and other spectral beings is as easy for him as interacting with a living, flesh-and-blood person. In exchange however, the effects of their spectral presence are far more pronounced. As opposed to feeling the slight chill that a less sensitive person might experience when ghosts are around, Nikolaus instead experiences a steady decrease in body temperature, threatening him with frostbite and potentially death. The strength and speed of the chill is somewhat dependant on how powerful the ghost is, but even minor spooks can be life-threatening if he's around them long enough.
• A Conduit for Many Powers- With training and practice, Nikolaus learned how to tap into more things than just the presence of ghosts. While he has no offensive powers of his own, Nikolaus can redirect magical energy through his body like a skilled martial artist using an enemy's momentum against them. He can also borrow the magic of a willing ally who he can touch. Doing so is physically and mentally exhuasting however, especially when channeling the energy of an enemy or unwilling target.
• Allergic to the Grave- Whether because of Damian's meddling or because of his own natural abilities, Nikolaus can't seem to stay dead. When killed, he will naturally revive after some time has passed. The length of time seems to vary based on the severity of the kiling blow. Nikolaus has no idea how long he has before his luck runs out and he stays dead for good, but that has yet to stop him from being recklessly goodhearted.
• Magic Jamming Knives- Because he has no offensive magic of his own, self-defense can be tricky. Cliq aided Nikolaus in crafting knives that disrupt the magic of the person or thing they're stabbed into.

• Nikolaus owns a vast collection of sweatervests because they're an easy way to have some sort of identity and look. When critiqued on his fashion choices, he will immediately bust out the most hideous sweatervests in his collection and pretend he doesn't know how bad they look.
• Before he met Damian, Nikolaus thought he was a picky eater. Turns out he just doesn't like shitty unseasoned white people food.
• He has not physically aged since he first died
• Nikolaus has a habit of unconciously tapping the thumb and pinky finger of his right hand together, especially when he is nervous. The habit developed after he learned that being unable to touch these two fingers together is a benchmark for frostbite.