when she first moved to long beach she considered getting a bike. she could drive, but she'd sold her car soon after she moved. deciding it was a sign of her determination to make it work in long beach. to not just run like a frightened animal at the first sign of trouble. luckily for her: with no bike or car long beach was still exceedingly walkable. she even rather liked the walk from her apartment to the mall. usually she enjoyed it alone, but today she was interrupted by familiar face. " 'sup, " she greeted in response, friendly smile appearing. she glanced to the joint as he asked his question, " oh, yeah, hold on, " she patted down her skirt (notably pocketless) before she thought to fish into bag. a moment later she had lighter in hand, stolen from someone at some point, and held it out to him. " here– wait, " she curled her hand, and lighter, back towards herself before he could take it. " are you working? "
"sup." he greeted in response, nodding his head at her and giving her a soft smile. of course nick remembered her, how could he not? it was hard to forget someone you took care of one night when they were really out of it, but nick is the last person to judge. as if he hasn't been in life altering situations before, way worse than the one's lorelei's been in. "thanks," he's about to take the lighter, when she pulls back, causing the pink haired male to raise an eyebrow. at her question, he scratches the back of his head. "i mean, yes... and no." he informs her, shrugging casually. "i'm on my lunch break, so technically, not at work, but if you're worried about me being stoned and working, don't sweat it. i smoke with the owner too. he's real cool." it wasn't a lie, they had blazed a joint one too many times together. "i'll share with you. come on, are you about to deny me a lighter? that hurts my feelings, not gonna lie." he's teasing, but he's also kind of not.
zaki wasted no time before sitting next to him and placing their legs across his lap "as if i could spend a day away from you." they could play that off as teasing but zaki is so attached to nick that going a day without him would be torture and could possibly drive them insane. "ugh you're the best, i love pizza and i love you thank you." he leaned over to press a quick kiss to his cheek "tonight i'll bring some food over from work, i'm sure i can swipe some things." he took another hit off the joint before handing it over to nick.
his hands rest across the other's legs, happily letting them grab the joint from him. "remember that promise we made to each other in like, junior high? we were like 'let's never go a day without seeing each other' and like... we kept that promise, didn't we?" he's known zaki forever. he doesn't think there's a single person around who knows him better than he does. he smiles back at them, admiring the useless drawings he had sketched onto his converse with permanent marker while they were both under the influence. "ohh, you should totally try to sneak some of that cookie dessert you guys have. you know, that one with the hot cookie and the ice cream? i had that one time when i was really stoned and i'm pretty sure i flew into another dimension." he informs them, grabbing the joint and taking a puff, exhaling smoke, before he opens the container with pizza and puts it in between them, letting them know it was okay if he wanted to get some.
"it's like you don't even know me at all. my own husband." with a scoff, xio removed the backpack from her shoulder and tugged open the zipper, retrieving one of several lighters from inside. sure, their 'marriage' wasn't exactly legally-binding - none of the other kids at recess at had been ordained, as far as she knew, but even now, as an adult, it was still fun to play pretend every once in awhile. to act as though she lived the life her parents had always wanted for her. "'course i got one. real question is... what are you gonna give me in return, huh?"
"blah, blah, blah." nick replies in a teasing tone, shooting them a smile. he watches with amusement as she unzips her bag, revealing plenty of lighters before she hands him one. "a lot of lighters you got there... ever consider opening up your own lighter shop?" he continues to poke fun, all in good nature. grabbing the lighter, he manages to light his joint after three flicks, handing it back to them. "i can share my joint with you. i mean, it's the least i could do for my wife, right?" their marriage at the playground during recess was a memorable one. that is, before they ran away from each other. it's nice to know they still know each other after all this time, and are still friends. he passes the joint to her, "it's good, try it."
zaki makes it a point to visit nick every day during his lunch break, they even timed their own lunch to match up so he wouldn't miss a day. "just the man i was looking for." he grinned and reached out to grab the joint "maybe i do -- maybe i don't, what kind of best friend would i be if i didn't have your backup? hm?" he placed the joint between his lips and dug into his pocket to grab the matching tie dye lighter. he lit the joint and inhaled the smoke before handing it over to the pink haired male. "missed me?"
of course he should have expected zaki. after all, they always have lunch together. if anything, nick was starting to find it odd that they weren't showing up, but the smile that came onto his lips was only a smile he got when seeing them, his best friend ever. "i always miss you. in fact, i wasn't sure how to go on if you didn't show up." he's teasing him, but truth be told, he always wants to be around zaki. he takes a seat, patting the spot on the bench next to him. "that's a new strain i got... forgot what it's called, but it should be good." he reaches into his brown paper bag and pulls out his still hot, personal pizza. "pizza? i know we're gonna be hungry after smoking that."
status: open
location: outside of three layers deep
nick was outside the shop on his lunch break when he decided it would be a good idea to smoke a joint. grabbing the one he had tucked behind his ear, he places it between his lips and fishes through his pockets for a lighter. upon finding his tye dye one, he attempts to create a flame once, twice, three times, and even a fourth, with no luck. "shit." he mutters to himself, knowing his lighter was out of fluid. maybe it was odd just approaching the nearest bystander, but he wanted to smoke. "hey," he starts, placing the joint between his fingers, "do you have a lighter?"
evan mock + he/him + cis male – have you seen nicolas "nick" veluz around long beach? the twenty two year old can be spotted at slide away during their free time. word around the city is that they’re loyal and adventurous, yet, they can also be depressed and impulsive, but you didn’t hear that from me. they’re currently a guitarist for a local band and a tattoo artist at three layers deep and have been in the city for twenty two years. when i think of them, i think of tired eyes and light pink hair, scraped and bruised knees from skating so much, the sound of an electric guitar at three am. they’re typically seen walking the streets of long beach with zaki. let’s hope the city treats them well!
basic stats ;
⟶ full name: nicolas italo veluz
⟶ nicknames: strictly goes by nick, hates when people try ‘nico’
⟶ three things he likes: getting high, his best friend zaki, the electric guitar
⟶ three things he dislikes: when the party is over, his grandmother, overly sensitive people
⟶ gender: cis male
⟶ height: 5 ‘ 11
⟶ age: 22
⟶ birthday: october 17, 1971
⟶ zodiac: libra sun, libra moon, aquarius ascendant
⟶ right handed or left handed: right handed
⟶ eye color: brown
⟶ hair color: naturally black, constantly dyes it light pink
⟶ piercings and tattoos: both ears pierced, so many tattoos, he’s lost count ( reference )
⟶ languages spoken: english and cebuano
⟶ sexuality / romantic orientation: hates labeling himself, but pansexual / panromantic, does not judge gender at all
⟶ place of birth: long beach, california
⟶ five aesthetics: the sound of an electric guitar at ungodly hours, a backpack filled with narcotics, a beat up skateboard, bruised knees and tired eyes, being in the middle of a conversation and the drugs you took earlier begin to kick in
⟶ character inspo: chris miles from skins u.k, rue bennett from euphoria, valerio montesinos from elite, hank moody from californication
background story ;
nick was born in long beach, california to a filipino father named italo and an american mother named nicole. he has no memory of his mother. she left him and his father when he was around three years old and never came back. nick hasn’t seen her since, and really has no desire to reconnect with her
despite this, he had a fairly decent life with his father. simply put, his father was his best friend, a guy he looked up to. he was a teacher during the day and a carpenter as a side gig. they were poor, and he first hand witnessed how hard his father would work to put food on the table, to make sure he was okay, balance the finances while being, well, a father to nick
he didn’t have the nicest shoes, he would literally wear hand me downs donated by his better off cousins, and he was usually picked on for the old, worn down stuff he wore, but even with everything, nick was a happy kid
he wasn’t rich, he didn’t have a mother, but he had a lot of love, a dad who was more than understanding, someone who would drop everything for him if he needed it, and isn’t that what really matters at the end?
from a fairly young age, his father taught him how to play the guitar, a habit they had in common, and nick loved it. he played day and night and eventually became really good at it. it was their thing, it was something they shared and it was special to nick
nick had this idea that if he worked really hard in school, studied more than anyone, that one day, he could pay his father back for all the things that he’s done for him, that was his mission, to one day make a lot of money and buy his father the house he so rightfully deserved
he wasn’t the most academically gifted guy out there, but he tried harder than everyone, and his perseverance is what eventually made him the best in his class, and even the best in his school
nick had big hopes for his future, but that all came crashing down one unfortunate day, two days before his ninth birthday
he comes home from school to find that his father is there, fixing an electric problem they’ve had going on for a few months now. basically, the electricity will go on and off in the house, and sometimes stay off for hours, and to avoid calling an electrician which meant extra money, his father took it upon himself to try and fix the problem with his own two hands
! tws for death, childhood trauma, proceed with caution or skip over this if this triggers you ! nick didn’t think much of it either. he watched as his father fumbled around with wires, having a conversation with him about how his day at school went. it was all fine for him, until at one point, he notices his father begin to excessively move around, and honestly? nick thinks it’s a joke at first, but it takes him about a second to notice that his father isn’t messing with him – he’s being electrocuted
to this day, his reaction to what was happening is the biggest regret nick has in his life, but he just… stands there. not because he doesn’t want to do anything, but because he genuinely doesn’t know how to react to what was happening before him. it all goes down so quickly and in only seconds, his father is on the floor, unconscious
the worst part of all is that they didn’t have a house phone, so nick? literally had to scream for a neighbor to come help him, and sit there with his father’s unconscious body until help finally arrived
the whole time, nick is thinking that his father is going to be fine. he’s always been such a strong man, surely he would get out of this unharmed right? however, unfortunately for nick, his father is pronounced dead on the scene ! end of tws !
to add onto this, he has no other family that he knows of, and it takes the police about a week to get in contact with his father’s mother, who lives in long beach as well, but doesn’t answer the phone until way later. during that time period, nick was property of the government, remaining in a foster house until his grandmother claimed custody of him, became his legal guardian, and moved him out to live with her
this all happened two days before his ninth birthday, so he spent his birthday alone, in foster care, with no one to hug him, no one to make him a homemade birthday cake or play guitar with him. he not only lost his father and best friend, but he also lost the happiness he once had
moving in with his grandmother wasn’t easy for him. for starters, he didn’t know his grandmother at all. his father never spoke of her and they never even met each other. truth be told, he just felt relieved enough to know that he wouldn’t be in the foster care system anymore
nick assumed that his grandmother, the mother of his father and the person who had raised the greatest man he’s ever known, would be very similar in character to his father, loving and funny. soon enough though, he realized just how wrong he was about her
she was somewhat sympathetic towards him the first week, but after that, he realized what a cold woman his grandmother really was, and he realized why his father so desperately wanted to get away from his childhood home. he realized why he never bothered to let nick know his grandmother at all, realized why he never introduced them or even dared to speak of her
his grandmother was very wealthy, a huge contrast from what nick was used to, but with perks came downfalls, and as wealthy as she was, she was also mean, and judgmental. she was unforgiving and verbally abusive, and more often times than not, she made nick feel bad about things he shouldn’t feel bad for. she had a tendency to guilt trip people, to make it seem like everything was your fault and to make you feel inferior. simply put, she killed off all the aspirations nick had
she made him feel stupid for liking the guitar, claiming that would never make him any real money, and belittled him any chance she got, made him believe that he could never amount to anything in his life. the once persevering boy who wanted to buy his father a house was gone, and was replaced by someone he thought he would never be
slowly but surely, nick began to really dislike his grandmother. dislike soon turned into hate, and before he knew it, he was finding ways to cope with the pain he felt, and acting out in school
he began hanging out with the wrong crowd, every day caring less and less about his grades, skipping school, doing things just for the fuck of it, but as he got older, things began to escalate more and more
the first time he tried weed, he was thirteen. in nick’s case, weed was the gateway drug to just about everything. by the time he was sixteen, he had tried just about every drug in the book, you name it, he’s done it, but the one thing that stuck for him was weed, and coke
he drops out of school on his senior year, at seventeen years old, and never looks back. by this time, his grandmother is fed up with his shit, claiming that if he doesn’t get some type of job, he needs to find another place to live, and as much as he can’t stand her, well… he needed her at the moment, so he does the thing that happens to be the easiest for him – he becomes a tattoo artist. starts off sloppy at first, giving tattoos in his garage ( so sus, i know ), but eventually, nick becomes pretty good at it and finally lands a job at an actual shop, making somewhat decent money
he suddenly has three hustles, his job as a tattoo artist, selling weed on the low, and as shitty as it may sound, he begins taking things ( expensive things ) from his grandmother’s house that she never really uses, takes her prescription meds, and flips them. he does this for a while until he’s finally able to get his own apartment and move away from her, and really? he feels no remorse after how horrible she has been to him
getting his own place becomes a disaster, as he’s now unsupervised and dives deep into the world of narcotics
! tws for overdose, drug abuse, seizures, hospital mentions and coma, for the next two bullets, proceed with caution or skip over this if it’s triggering for you ! when he’s twenty, at a festival, he takes it too far and mixes a bunch of different drugs together. upon leaving the festival and going back to his friends’ place with a few other friends, nick is blacking out, and by the time they arrive to his friends house, he starts having a seizure
obviously, his friends take him straight to the hospital, and this seizure is so damn bad, he’s in a coma for, wait for it… four days. waking up from that and trying to recover was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do, with the way people treated him like he would break, to the way he still had to make ends meet if he didn’t want to go back to living with his grandmother
for a while, nick is clean, but it isn’t long before he’s back to the same antics, the only thing now is – how long will he slide?
headcanons ;
nick has been playing the guitar since he was three years old, and it’s the one thing that keeps him sane. i would describe his style as a mixture of john frusciante, carlos santana, and david gilmour. he’s bad at a lot of things, but the guitar isn’t one of those things
deep down inside, he’s very depressed, and his drug use is a cry for help. as messed up as it may sound, he doesn’t care if he takes it too far, though he would never admit it. he has very dark thoughts and is a very broken person, but he usually shows people the opposite
he’s a pretty creative person. aside from playing guitar, he writes music, and likes to draw. even though it’s not his dream job, tattooing people relaxes him. he was crap at first, can’t lie, but he’s actually really good now. nick has a lot of potential and anyone can see that, he could be such a successful, well known person, he just doesn’t care and has no motivation, he’s just wasting his talents
he’s the type of guy you go to when you want to get something that’s not too easy to find. he doesn’t sell drugs anymore, but he’s the type of person who will point you in the direction of someone who does, and usually make some type of profit off it. aside from narcotics, he can get his hands on just about anything
he’s not a bad person deep down, but he isn’t a good influence. he’s an enabler, will encourage you to do the stupidest things imaginable. don’t come to him if you wanna be talked out of doing something stupid because he’s going to encourage you to do the stupid thing
nick loves to skate. he has an okay car, but if he can skateboard somewhere instead of driving, he will. his knees are constantly bruised from this
he has hooked up with many people, any gender, but isn’t big on relationships. not exactly because he doesn’t want one, but because he doesn’t want to drag down whoever he’s with into all his shit, the typical ‘i’m a bad person and you should stay away from me’ speech when people wanna claim they’re catching feelings for him
he’s done nearly all his tattoos except for maybe like, three? he has his father’s name tattooed as well, which is his favorite tattoo
he’s big dumb ass energy. he’s a bit of a spiritual person and loves crystals, will be like ‘this selenite crystal will keep the harm away from me’ then proceed to put himself in danger with his own stupid actions, ever heard anti hero by taylor swift? ‘it’s me, hi, i’m the problem, it’s me’? that’s literally him
he’s had a buzzcut and has been dying his hair pink since he was around sixteen, that at this point, he doesn’t even remember what his natural hair color looks like. he’s been doing this for so long, that some people don’t know what his natural hair color looks like either. at this point, it’s part of who he is
despite his bad decisions, he’s a very fun time to be around, is quite talkative and loves making people feel included, even if he just met you, he will treat you like he’s known you his whole life. he likes to make people smile or laugh because he doesn’t want anyone to feel as bad as he constantly feels, is actually great at listening and giving advice, but is terrible at receiving it
his energy in high school was smoking under the bleachers, skipping classes and causing mayhem, he also probably sold weed in p.e class ( under the bleachers as well ), genuinely didn’t give a fuck
the good thing about nick though is that when he likes you, he’s a very loyal person. he would defend you until the end if you’re someone he vibes with, as he claims he ‘doesn’t have time for those negative fake vibes, dude’. if he’s down for you, he’s down for you until the end
for him, it’s not a case of ‘what you see is what you get’ as he’s a very complex guy, with a fuck ton of layers, but even though he doesn’t show all of himself, he can’t stand fake people who think they’re better than everyone else. he just doesn’t see what’s the point in being an asshole
deep down inside, nick does want to stop his bullshit and be the son his father would have been proud of. he does want to get some help and try to get better, but until he actually does it, if he even does? forget it, he said it’s too much work! let’s not talk about our problems or feelings or none of that crap, let’s just have a good old time and get high/drunk/w.e the occasion calls for
he is the lead guitarist for a band ( name tbd ). there is zaki on drums, and there’s also a bassist, a lead singer and a keyboard/piano player. i don’t put much about this connection because i’d like to plot it out with the other members if the remaining three spots ever do get taken!
wanted connections ;
why’d you only call me when you’re high?: hear me out though, someone he accidentally called because the actual number he was trying to reach was wrong by a number, it was three in the morning, and he was high. instead of hanging up, your muse stayed up talking to him about nothing and everything, and now, every once in a while, nick makes it a habit to call them at ungodly hours in the morning when he’s high off his ass, and this muse always answers
it was meant to be something else: funny connection, but this muse could have walked in right when the tattoo shop was about to close, drunk off their ass and demanded a tattoo. nick, completely drunk off his ass as well because they were literally closing, decides to take them up on that offer. the only thing is that he’s so damn drunk, he’s falling asleep while doing it and literally tattoos them a damn squiggly line. he felt so bad about this, he offered to tattoo them again for free ( obviously not hammered ). whether this muse agrees, is angry about the literal squiggly line tattoo and hates him, or thinks his behavior is iconic can be entirely plotted!
you’re a light in this dark world: a good influence! i would love it if someone encouraged him to try and do better, a mom or dad friend if you must, trying to protect him from his own stupidity, but it’s real hard to protect someone this idiotic asdfghjkl
the devil on my shoulder: someone who is on his level when it comes to shenanigans. they could get high together, get up to the stupidest things with each other and make the most regrettable decisions, but, they sure as hell always have the absolute best memories with one another
i’ll help you get over what’s going over you: these two attended a party together and this muse was really drunk and somehow, they got locked together in the bathroom for hours. while under the influence and stuck in a room together, this muse began venting to him about things going on in their life. nick isn’t one to tell anyone a secret you tell him, the whole ‘i’ll take this with me to the grave’ type of vibe and perhaps, this muse realized that so now even when they’re not drunk, they go to him whenever they want to vent about stuff or get something off their chest, maybe appreciating the fact that nick is a great listener
maybe it’s time for you to go home: this muse could have been really drunk, high, or both at a party and could have maybe been making a fool of themselves and had no one to watch over them or help them, but nick of all people, helped them out that night. helped them when they were sick and to avoid further embarrassment, and even drove them home. this muse could be embarrassed about what happened, grateful, avoiding him, anything can be plotted!
we were together once upon a time: hear me out though… the only girlfriend, boyfriend or partner he’s ever had. they could have dated in high school but maybe drifted apart and gotten messy and now it’s awkward? maybe there’s still some type of feelings there but he’s the worst? open to any gender, this could be so juicy and dramatic and angst, yes please!
go on and do what you like: okay but… hook up plots maybe? open to any gender. this can go many ways!
bandmates: missing their lead singer, bassist and keyboard/piano player! bandmates plots are always so fun, so i would love these three connections, open to one female fc and two male fcs
customers: people who have either gotten tattooed by him, or people who used to buy weed/other stuff off him before, or even people who go to him now when they want to get something and don’t know where to go to!
