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Born May 31, 1982 in the small town of Salina, Oklahoma, Nicky Blythe was a simply-celebrated youngest of three. From childhood he was his mother's favourite, spoiled but never burdened with expectations. But then, most of his life was simple - his parents never had dreams of any of their children becoming movie stars or lawyers or doctors. Success was never particularly pressed. It was a laid-back, relatively peaceful atmosphere, but just happened to be suffocating for Nicky, whose tiny frame held the sapling of ambition that grew like a weed as he reached maturity. It became apparent that there was life to be lived outside of the tiny town, should he only find a way to it. The family was poor, however, and all of his talk of moving was put aside, his mother smiling and patting his hand and his father turning the page of his newspaper. He never knew much of his older brother, who was eight years his senior and often out of the house or otherwise aloof. His sister, Dolores (affectionately dubbed "Lorry" by the family), the middle child, was the first source of tension in his life. When he was born, she was threatened by her parents attention to him, and would routinely pick on him. As he grew older, however, her terrorising became more passive-aggressive and simultaneously more menacing behind their parents' unknowing backs. She would frequently lock him in rooms and pressure him into things that he didn't want to do, a sort of touching that he was entirely too premature for. This continued well into pre-teen years, as he was too scared and confused to say anything to his parents, until one day their brother found them together and scolded his sister for her behaviour. He never told their parents, but this gave Nicky an undying respect for his eldest sibling, despite their distance. Whenever his brother made a poor decision or got into an argument with someone else in the family, Nicky would be the first to stand up for him. This silent bond further distanced him and his sister, who was jealous of his attention and whom, from then on, he avoided at all costs. He came to resent his parents for never noticing what was going on behind closed doors and for restricting him, but never reached the point of loathing.
In school he was shy for the most part, and so earned himself the usual torment of a quiet, effeminate boy sitting alone in a sweater vest and tie, hair slicked back and face speckled with pimples. He was particularly bashful with girls and usually let them approach him first, behaviour that carried on after high school. His grades were passable, as he knew that college was likely his biggest chance of leaving the small town, and somehow he earned enough scholarships and grants to get him on his feet and out into the real world. He attended a school in Phoenix and began to pursue a degree in Literature in hopes of becoming a high school teacher. It took the better half of two years to realise his own restlessness and lack of fervour for the career he had chosen, plus the impending issue of money, he dropped out and got a job. Eventually he was living with three other people and working double shifts, but he was learning to survive on his own and that somehow ends would meet. His calls and letters home became more gradual - no longer did he send panicked pleas of help to his parents. He began to experience a more diverse crowd and become more open about different interests. For a short period of time he became interested in the occult, as well as different spiritual beliefs, despite never having much interest in his Methodist upbringing. He experimented with drugs and sexuality and broadened his horizons, until he was moving about at a fast pace, fluttering between groups of people and places to live without restraint. It was at this time that he began to introduce himself as "Feather". The more mystical and mysterious his behaviour and identity became, the more the name stuck, until his old one was simply a name on formal documents.
Feather grew fond of Phoenix, but became restless once again and moved on when he could find the money and companionship. The trouble with such an enigmatic reputation was that everyone wanted to be influenced by him and to say they knew him, but it was much more difficult to find someone willing to be an intimate companion for long periods of time. Friends were plentiful but confidants were few. This only heightened his distant-seeming nature and made him name seem quite appropriate. He found his way through Las Vegas, a city that he wasn't extremely fond of in and of itself, but provided new opportunities. He sharpened skills he had already been vastly interested in, including hypnosis and chakra balancing and also spent some time as a fortune teller. He wasn't as fond of magic and stage tricks as he was of tarot reading and practices revolving around a person's energy and fate. As he found success in these areas, he became a highly qualified actor, learning how to swindle people out of their money and make them believe whatever he wanted. Although greedy, he will not use his talents for harmful purposes, as, in the end, he does take them very seriously and would never harm a person's subconscious for his own gain. However, he was practical, and now that he was trying to survive more or less on his own, wasn't altogether opposed to robbing a few drunk businessman of an extra few hundred dollars for something extra they didn't need.
Sometime into this lifestyle he grew tired of the false extravagance of Las Vegas and longed for something quieter, as long as more normal, compelling friendships than that of hookers and showgirls. He received a call from his mother about the death of an uncle, the only wealthy member of the family, and a small portion of the inheritance being awarded to him. Inspired by this luck, he left for Los Angeles to settle in Laurel County and took up residence there in one of the smaller apartments. He has struggled with various roommates and jobs, but also has become more focused on his areas of interest and how to use them to his advantage. Feather decided to leave fortune telling behind in Las Vegas, as he resented being treated like a circus sideshow source of entertainment, and now practices a multitude of spiritual and self-help practices according to a person's need, request, or knowledge. He does not force his interests on anyone but will not struggle to hide them either - he tries not to recollect his days of being the shy introvert in school - and so has a habit of either fascinating someone or weirding them out upon meeting them. He has charisma, though, this is undeniable, and has no problem with approaching someone and telling them what beautiful energy they have. At 27, he now works as a desk clerk at a hotel in town, which fulfills his eagerness to dress nicely and work somewhere extravagant, but irritates him, as he is forced to go by Nicky, a name he wishes to disassociate with as much as possible. This is his way of making ends meet for the time being, however, and he spends most of his off days, nights, and weekends taking customers for his techniques.
• Feather is a firm believer in astrology and can discuss it in length with anyone interested, and will be happy to advise on compatibility and the like. He does not, however, let it control his life and his decisions.
• As far as his wide range of "talents", Feather likes to consider himself a sort of "therapist for the soul". He is experienced in hypnosis, can give tarot readings, chakra balancing, psych-k, as well as other things, according to a person's needs. These can be used for more in-depth problems, such as correcting a deep-seated subconscious belief or conquering a phobia, or as simple relaxation techniques and stress reducers. He firmly believes that everyone can benefit from them in some way.
• Specifically, Feather also specialises in sexual subconscious therapy. This is basically a specific sort of hypnosis that supposedly taps into a person's inner desires - think the main character's mother in Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke". No touching is involved and he considers it very professional work and would be appalled if anyone suggested he got his own gratification from it. Because of this, a lot of his clients wind up being horny middle-aged men who no longer get turned on by their wives.
• As might be assumed by his name, Feather spends a lot of time with drag queens, hippies, and the like. He onced dated a transvestite for an extended period of time.
• On the topic of sexuality, he is very aloof and enigmatic, as with most other aspects of his life. If prodded for an answer, he would most likely attest to being pansexual, as it is the least limiting.
• One of his weaknesses would definitely be nice clothing and fancy things. He likes to dress in snappy button-downs and vests even when he doesn't have to; it would be rare to see him in jeans.
• Feather has asthma, so rarely burns incense, as it irritates him. He often burns candles in his tiny apartment, though, especially when customers are over.
• Chocolate is the way to his heart.
• Adores novels by Richard Bach.
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