Johan "Snowball" Nylander

Caring and loyal, a playful well-spirited tease, and occassionally shy, Johan is a flapper dancer for the Lackadaisy speakeasy who, summarized, is as much a bleeding heart as he is a damaged soul that miracuously is strong-willed... even if such resilient determination isn't easily apparent in the slightest. Johan often goes by his alias, 'Snowball'- or 'Snow' for short- and puts up an enticing and mesmirizing display of gender ambiguity while giving a performance.

On solid terms with the current band, employees, and regular patrons of the speakeasy, Johan has recently pitched in to help with the bootlegging operation. His physical prowess coupled with remarkable proficiency with firerarms (a skill that resulted from some relentless attempts during youth to make him more manly by his father) makes him a valuable asset to the organization.

Though not much of a drinker himself, Johan greatly relishes in the alcohol-laced and non-conforming nature of the establishment, as it allows him to be rather openly homosexual without much worry of vitriol. Johan is a good friend of fellow dancer Ivy, and has a bond with the new triggerman, Freckle. Johan furthermore feels painfully torn between an affinity to the two men closest to his heart: Dorian Zibowski and Mordecai Heller

Johan was born on a small farm to a pair of parents who had immigrated from Sweden in the late 19th century. Since youth, he had expressed desires for a life more exciting than being a farmhand, taking up an interest in music and the arts. Johan's father, Gustav Nylander, detested the artistically-inclined side of his son, believing it to be unmanly. In an attempt to correct such behavior, Gustav brought his son along on many hunting trips, teaching the boy how to handle a rifle with great marksmanship. Gustav furthermore had Johan carry out heavily demanding labor on the farm, resulting in the young cat gaining formidable stamina and strength.

However, these efforts of 'correction' ultimately bore no fruit in changing Johan's behavior. On one unfortunate day, Johan was found kissing another classmate in the forest behind his schoolhouse. The revelation of his homosexuality shattered his relationship with his father and small, conservative, tight-knit community, ultimately leading to him leaving the town once he felt grown enough years later- in early 1924. By the middle of that year, having heard about the richness of entertainment and culture, Johan arrived in St. Louis.

By a stroke of luck, Johan had discovered Lackadaisy on one of its busiest nights during the twilight years of the speakeasy's hayday. He snuck into the establishment amongst a sea of patrons, and found himself enamored with the environment and atmosphere. Mitzi May was there that night, and recognized Johan as an unfamiliar face. Confronting him, she decided to let him to become a proper pin-bearing patron of the speakeasy upon seeing his enthusiasm and fascination with the lively music and captivating dancing.

Not long after becoming a regular name on the guest list, during the late, quieter hours on a particular night, an impulsive Johan went up on stage unpermitted to dance. Such intrusions are usually met with being kicked out by a bouncer, Mrs. May chose to let him stay on stage and indulge in his desire. Johan proved himself rather graceful in his movements, and at the end of the night Mrs. May approached him with the offer to join the speakeasy's band as a dancer. A male being a performer donned in a dress was almost unheard of, but Mitzi saw an opprotunity to gain a loyal employee by giving Johan such an unlikely proposal. The offer was eagerly accepted, and Johan proved himself to be a fan-favorite, drawing in a modest yet respectable group of regular patrons, leading to the speakeasy gaining a reputation as a safe haven for the sexually divergent. Subsequently becoming particularly close with leading 'business secuity' (enforcer) Mordecai Heller and band saxophonist Dorian Zibowski, Johan recieved his nickname and stage name from Zib; "Snowball," or simply "Snow."

On amiable relations with the band and the rest of Lackadaisy by virtue of his charm and kindness, Johan has recently put his proficiency with rifles to use in helping maintain the remnants of Atlas May's empire. However, his previously unshakable devotion to Mrs. May has started to wane, his priorities shifting away from the maintenance of a whittling empire to primarily looking after the wellbeing of the people around him that he cares for- namely Zib, Ivy, and Mordecai.