Post by Natalia Arlovskaya on May 9, 2013 21:45:28 GMT -5
Name: Ivan Vasilyevich Braginsky
Nicknames: Vanya, Bugbear
Age: 23
Date of Birth: June 12
Gender: Male
Occupation: Cognitive Psychologist
Heritage: Brown Bear - Ursus arctos
Seed Rank: Heavy Seed
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Appearance: Ivan stands at a tall six feet and four inches, weighing in at nearly two hundred and twenty-five pounds. His face is rounded in complexion, skin milky pale and abundant with features that determine his visage as both child-like and well formed. What stands out are rounded cheeks and a nose overgrown in size, widened eyes a peculiar shade of light violet brought out by the paleness of his hair, which sprawls over his head in a silky cascade of silvery blonde locks. His figure is robust, shoulders broad and limbs bearing a noticeable definition of muscle - and although there is indeed a hint of pudge to his stomach, all of that sheer size is owed to what he prefers to call being "big-boned."
Entirely covered below his chin, one would not be well able to judge what lies underneath all that bulk of clothing, since the Russian isn't keen on showing much skin. In an effort of self-consciousness and preservation of heat, Ivan dresses in several layers no matter the temperature. Most often on display are shades of light hue: petticoats of tan, red or violet, a constantly worn scarf of pink or lavender - all of varying designs and fabrics. The scarves bear as much importance as the badge displayed on the left side of his chest does; a star of gold with a striped ribbon and copper attached below it.
In his feral bear form, his weight heightens to 950 lbs and, when standing on his hind legs, he reaches eight feet. His thick coat is medium in its brown tone, eyes a honey brown and his neck still draped with whichever scarf he was wearing previously.
Distinguishing Features: His neck is laden with scars, faded pink with age and always cradled by those beloved scarves.
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual
Likes:
- Sunflowers | In his youth, these flowers were perhaps one of the first things he set eyes on that stood out with color among all the white. They reminded him immensely of the sun with their shape and their shades, and so he grew an attachment to them for providing him with warm thoughts and good hopes. He’s also taking a liking to eating the seeds, just as well as he likes planting them - though he isn’t skilled in keeping them alive at all.
- Vodka | Truly Russian made, of course, and he won’t believe any of the arguments that Poland was the first to produce the beverage. While the brand doesn’t matter, he’ll gorge on the stuff so long as it’s native to his home. Calling him an alcoholic would be an understatement, though he knows very well how to handle what he drinks. There’s always a bottle with him. His fuel, he’ll call it.
- Warmth | Picky, he doesn't enjoy it to be too hot nor too cold. And although he always dresses as if it were winter and refuses to show very much skin, he prefers warm temperatures to all else. Given how pale he is, he is an easy victim for burning under the sun, but that doesn't stop his yearning desire for it. And, of course, it's plenty more suitable for growing flowers.
- The Sun | He could lie underneath it all day if he wanted to, despite such obvious consequence of getting burnt - what with the pale vulnerability of his skin. He's learned the hard way that you shouldn't stare at the sun, and now that only serves as a disappointment.
- Happiness | Friendly gestures as mere as a smile of greeting or something of affection is reserved for those you are close to and well acquainted with, a cultural trait he doesn't always stay true to. Gestures of affection are of course held back until he feels someone is a well potential friend, and he hopes the same is done for him - but signs of hospitality even from strangers are welcoming to him. Seeing happiness is another hope of his, in line with his belief that all should get along.
- Affection | The thing he's most dependent on: affection and nourishment. Even tiny hints, signs or gestures of affection can calm and brighten him immensely. He's surprisingly affectionate despite his size, and will usually tend not to realize his own strength when he's around someone.
- The Human Mind | Psychology and learning about how the human mind and body works fascinates him. Though people won't realize it, it's one of the reasons he can be caught staring at someone: he likes to observe people, their movements and their facial expressions, coming up with ridiculous scenarios of what would happen if something terrible were to occur to them.
- Scars | General imperfections on other bodies fascinate him, as well. Seeing things such as scars on another person make him feel better about his own, knowing he's not the only one with such blemished skin. If someone else has one or more, he won't refrain from touching and practically fawning over them.
- Blood | Not an exactly healthy interest, nor always harmless. While there are those that faint at the sight of it, there's something about the deep red hue that makes him unable to look away - and then there’s that desire within him to see it on others whenever he so wishes.
- Weapons | While his preference is handily tearing iron pipes off of walls, interest spreads to a wider ranging variety. Many things can become potential weapons, and it's always interesting to see just what they can do - though in retrospect, he feels more comfortable with pipes and they are easier to carry about.
- Food | It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he can eat almost anything. His portions are often plentiful and he enjoys dishes from both his own culture and others, with a strong stomach that can handle whatever he is given. Among his favorites are salmon, nuts/seeds and any type of berry.
- Cultures | When first meeting someone, it's always custom that he asks of their background and becomes interested in what cultures they come from. He likes learning about other places, whether or not they bring him envy.
- Traditions | He harbors every tradition his country has close to heart, dedicating himself to all of what his culture has to offer.
- Poetry | More so reading it than writing it, there are a multitude of his own native writers that he enjoys, of many genres. Something to do when you are alone and unoccupied with anything else.
- Dolls | They're almost like a guilty pleasure, as he loves dolls of all sorts - whether they're porcelain, wooden, or plushie. He's always wanted to start a collection, and has gathered up a favorable amount of matryoshka and cheburashka plushies, his favorite above all.
- Aquariums | Interesting and tantalizing at the same time. He will be distracted like a young child if you ever take him to an aquarium; a way to keep him occupied for hours.
- Space | Taking moments to stargaze and watch the skies to try and see what he has been missing out on is something he loves to do, as well as study astronomy as a whole. He'd love to go up there one day.
- Bright Colors | Colors are particularly eye-catching when they are of brighter and lighter shades. He enjoys looking at anything that is adorned in such coats of color, as well as dressing up in clothing of the like. Yellow and pink are favorites.
- Small Animals | Little companions are always nice to have, and to him that particularly includes felines, weasels and rabbits. He will snatch them up as he pleases.
- Power | A typical craving for power can lead him to do things considered overbearing to others.. but he never feels guilty about them. He'll claim power over other people and make them do things for him as he so wishes. So long as they're obedient, they'll receive praise.
- Beaches | Even if he won't always enjoy actually going into the water, usually because it's just so cold, he loves simply sitting on the sand underneath the warm sun, listening to the waves crash and the sounds of people and creatures around him. He'll easily fall asleep in situations like that, since it's just so relaxing.
- People | He can be a social butterfly most of the time, usually being the one to approach people and force an acquaintance onto them. He just enjoys the presence of all people, no matter how rude they might be.
- Technology | He likes it, but it takes him ages to figure out how to use anything.
- Competition | A sore loser at heart who likes to take nearly everything into competition, and his efforts to win something will be relentless.
- Music | From the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, songs of war and patriotism that flowed melodiously with the strumming of the balalaika; a type of music he had grown used to hearing, as it was still well embraced where he was from. They remind him of home, as do a small number of things he managed to keep and hold on to. Though he doesn't hate modern music either, and will enjoy songs of rock and pop variety.
- Winter Sports | Despite his ill feelings toward winter and its brutal components, it was what he had grown used to and sports specified for winter were well known. Hockey, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding - though he may not be equally adept at every one of them, they are something he would absorbedly watch or participate in.
- Horror | Stories and films included, anything that strikes fear in others, he will find himself amused with. Horror in media is something that very rarely frightens him: though he likes to listen to scary stories for the comedy of it, horror films often put him to sleep, even he isn't too busy laughing at them.
- Theatre | As far as ballets and plays go, they are timeless things that he couldn't see himself getting sick of watching. It is essential that you go and see one if you are ever in Russia, after all. He is rather proud of the classics that have become well known to the rest of the world outside of their homeland.
- Folklore | Russian history is avast with generations of folktales and stories told throughout; and Ivan takes interest in knowing each and every one of them, regardless of what genre they fall under. He particularly likes to pass one ones of supernatural and horrific genre.
- Ballrooms | They are spacious and usually quite elegant, only the most ideal place to have a dance. He misses the times when balls were so often held, and since then his own capabilities of dancing have grown a bit rusty... unless perhaps they are given the chance to again. While this preferably goes unknown to others, he is also perfectly adept at performing ballet.
- Praise | He can be dependent on it, and sometimes his efforts to seek such attention can be desperate. When there's no one around to tell him what's good and what isn't, then those are choices he'll make for himself - it's when there's no one there to tell him right from wrong and commend him or not on his actions that he can get out of control.
Dislikes:
- Winter/Cold | Russia wasn't always cold everywhere, but any warm summer day couldn't make up for the harshness of its winters. The frigid air or the very site of snow bring back only the worst memories that he'd rather stray away from. Though the cold can be helpful in some situations, it is enough of a burden and a thorn in his past that he has simply come to hate it. He'll try to get people to hibernate with him, but for some reason other people don't like that.
- Feeling Pain | Low pain tolerance. Emotional pain has taken enough of a toll on his mind that he's honestly weak when it comes to physical pain; it's difficult for him to endure. Even the smallest of damage can have him crying out, though in the face of enemies he tries not to let this weakness show.
- His Body | He's terribly self-conscious about it and hates having the matter brought up. He'll be defensive over any comments made toward his tummy and overall size, though in the end it will only leave him heading for the mirror to brood over himself.
- Accusations/Stereotypes | A book shouldn't be judged by its cover, of course. He doesn't like stereotypes and false accusations made toward himself or others of his nationality; there's more to a person than silly misleading judgments.
- Vulgarity | It all goes over his head, anyway, but sometimes he will actually realize when someone's being outwardly dirty toward him, and that will make him awfully flustered.
- Sleeping | Due to unrelenting childhood nightmares that come back to him more often than he'd like to admit, his nights are usually restless and lacking in the right amount of sleep. His features can appear very worn down and exhausted during the day, no matter how differently the rest of him acts.
- Cell phones | He hates using them for conversations of any sort, though will if it is absolutely necessary for business or so - seeing and speaking to someone is person is much preferred. The buttons are also always too small for his big fingers.
- Being told what to do | He never liked having to listen to those that are older than him, reluctantly making only a few exceptions if he needs to.
- Being disobeyed | He is more adamant when it comes to commanding others to do things for him - bossy and manipulative as he can be, he usually lashes out and thrown an unnecessary fit when someone doesn't do something as he'd like them to.
- Fast Food | That is not real food. Home-cooked meals not mechanically altered and caked with grease are favored, as well as eating at a real restaurant where pleasant music drifts and course after course of delectable dishes are served.
- Beer | Perhaps the only alcohol he won't willingly drink. He hates the taste and how weak it is, and doesn't even consider it to be true alcohol.
- Smoking | Though it has been tried, he never took a liking to smoking and couldn't see how people could ever prefer it to drinking. Simply put, he'd rather stick to his bottle of vodka, as if his health needs to be deteriorated any further.
- Losing | In another childish aspect, yes, he doesn't fare well with losing and showing submission. It's more of an emotional pain to him than anything, especially if he's put his all into trying to win.
- Soviet taunts | He's easily offended around the subject, since it seems that some people don't realize how long it's been since the fall.
- Big Words | With such a limited vocabulary and difficulty in pronouncing words he hasn't been introduced to yet, he just tries to avoid them. His pronunciation usually comes out ridiculous and someone will laugh at him, which leads to immediate irritation and fluster.
- Being called cute | Or any title that implies femininity. He may act childish and indeed feminine half the time, but he hates when someone else points it out. It's already evident how easily some things can make him blush. This thing in particular, he will try and deny.
- Anger/Fighting | He's quick to break up any fight he might see between two people, always preferring to see others get along with each other. His initial attempts will be peaceful, though he will resort to violence himself if he feels he isn't being listened to.. which, of course, doesn't make the original issue any better.
- Secrets | It's advised to never tell him a secret, because he'll always be the one to blurt it out to the next person who happens to come by him. He doesn't understand the concept of keeping secrets.
- Tattoos/Piercings | There is of course the fact that they're painful, but he's never seen a reason in the first place to want to mutilate your body like that.
- Name mispronunciation | A common thing that tends to irritate him, especially if on purpose, as insignificant of a mistake it might be. The same, of course, would go for any word in his beloved native language.
Interests/Hobbies:
- Embroidery |
Let Mama Bear knit you a scarf.One of the skills he had picked up at a younger age was the use of a needle and thread, knitting and creating decorations and designs on fabric. It's something that keeps him busy and he rather enjoys, making things to his liking or perhaps for someone else. - Instruments | He's not very good at playing anything except for the balalaika, the piano and the cello.
- Chess | An activity with enormous importance and popularity in his country, and of course, he has trained himself around the skill and often enjoys a game of chess himself; though more often than not he's just playing it by himself.
- Painting | He hasn't any interest in really becoming an artist, though the only thing he likes to devote in skill in painting is on matryoshka dolls - as often seen, they can usually be coated in intricate designs that are fancily decorated and then spray polished once finished. Along with flowers, he believes these are the absolute perfect gift for anyone, and will willingly devote time to painting one if he finds the right idea for it.
- Reading | Several of his literature is censored these days, though he still holds onto the authors that have rose to historical fame in his country; he enjoys to read classical writes such as novels and poetry from writers including Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov and Pushkin.
- Dance | He can do ballet, waltz, and other traditional dances. And he will not be ashamed of it.
- Dressing Up | He genuinely likes wearing his different outfits, especially those of more colorful shades. As long as they aren't feminine.. well, not while out in public.
- Skygazing | Night time or day time, it's another relaxing activity to simply lie back in the grass or in the sand and watch the clouds, or the stars.
- Gardening | He adores having a garden of some sort around his house, and will enjoy starting them himself.. but he's really not good at keeping the flowers alive. Sometimes he goes overboard and plants too many to keep up with, or he feeds them vodka rather than water and things never quite work out.
- Teasing | He can't help himself when he sees someone smaller than him, and generally, that will apply to everyone. He teases people by method of picking on and bullying them whether they're a friend or not, just adoring to see such flustered little reactions come from them.
- Being A Bear Who Thinks He Can Fit In | This nine hundred fifty pound bear will often be seen hunting for fish at the river, gathering food in the forests, rolling around in the sand, trying to climb trees but failing. Or he will be spending time with all the little cats and critters thinking he's a cuddly teddy bear who is as small as they are.. but he isn't. He's often walked away, ashamed and upset, from a poor squished squirrel or mouse or two.
Aspirations:
- Feeling Needed | Easily one of the things he'd want above all else.. he's always wanted to feel important to someone, to actually be needed by someone rather than it always being the other way around. He wants to know that he means something and that he doesn't have to be so on his own, that there's somewhere he needs to be and someone he knows will always be there so long as he is.
- Stronger Ties with his Sisters | It was evident from the start that he and his two sisters were never meant to have a lasting strong bond with each other. Despite how they can put him into a depression, however, he often misses their company and the times when they were a closer family together. He keeps pictures and memories around all over the place, but still yearns for them to return to him so he can be a proper big brother again.
- Companionship | To the point of desperation at times, he has wanted to feel the love from at least one person beyond that from his sisters; someone who is able to view him as himself, understand what he might truly mean behind his actions.. though since little to no one knows of his past, there is a smaller hope in finding someone who would.
- Peace and Happiness | He has hope in seeing peace remain among everyone, for little tension and for relationships and acceptance of one another to continue to grow; to get into any major disputes would be a distraught, though of course he wouldn't opt out of it if it were to occur, not without trying to restore good relations first. He is quick to break apart anything as minor as an argument between two subjects, wanting to see only happy expressions that match his own, except more genuinely.
- Being Accepted | He wants people to realize that he isn't such a scary figure as everyone seems to think he is.. but he always has trouble getting that message across. Despite how much he hates to see feared reactions in response to his presence, he doesn't give up in trying to make himself seem more friendly.
- Being Protective | Namely protecting his sisters and loved ones, those he would willingly take his life for. Seeing them in pain would be worse than enduring the worst pain himself, and he would put the blame on himself were it to happen.. though he does have faith in his sisters being able to defend themselves, he is still lead to act otherwise.
Fears:
- Loneliness | Sitting alone in silence for too long with the thought that there is absolutely no one there is the last situation he would want; though he doesn't usually admit to his fear of being lonely. Spending too long without another presence leaves him susceptible to bad thoughts and memories regarding his past returning.
- Loss | Since going through separation from his family, he'll grow increasingly protective and clingy to people he becomes close to, doing everything in his power without quite realizing he's being overbearing in order to keep them from being taken away from him as well.
- No One Loving Him | It is perhaps the greatest of his wishes to know that he will not be spending the rest of his life in solitude, that others had more intentions than simply shunning him away. While of course he has what is left of his family, though he is not always comfortable around them, he refuses giving up his attempts on making companionship. He had spent his childhood with very little friends, and went the rest of years without very many more, and would rather not have to die while that fact remains the same.
- His past | With a history of misfortune and bloodshed that loomed over his shoulders and as memories in the back of his mind, he tries however possible to not let them creep back on him and does what he can to make up for now the childhood he hadn't the chance to enjoy. There were plentiful things that had troubled him enough that he doesn't dare think of and hopes not to be reminded of, memories that can send him into a bit of a trance even nowadays. He only wants to show people the opposite of how he used to be, and in doing so he is as friendly as can possibly be while stuck behind that intimidating appearance and cracked sanity.
- Murdering | Although he's had to commit plenty before, he's terrified of going through that again. It's true that he nearly got used to doing it after a while, under the surveillance of his father, though he felt no sense of relief or pride after making the kill. He'd rather pretend he's never made any at all, and would like to keep others from being afraid of him because of that aspect. With the circumstances he grew up in, however, he won't always mind the sight of blood or the occasional wounding of someone if he believes they deserve it.
- Death | He has tried to take his own life away before, but he still can become shaken at the very thought. Despite the numerous, never-ending thoughts he's always had about taking himself away from the world, he can't ever bring himself to do it. There's a cowardly panic in him at the thought of dying, even though he knows that time will come for it to happen.. whether it's of his own account or another.
- Natalia | Being stalked by your younger sibling is by no means settling. Seeing the tall Russian cowering in the presence of the Belorussian is not a regular sight either, and the very thought of her can send him into a panic. He hasn't any wish to hurt her, for underneath he does care a deal for his siblings, though he can not bring himself to accept how forward she is.
Personality:
What first entraps attention and strikes initial fear into the hearts of others is his size. He’s remarkably tall, broad, and questionably burly, yes; though sitting more peculiarly upon an otherwise calm face is his seemingly unchanging smile. While it’s uncommon in Russia to see smiles upon the faces of strangers, his is the last hopeful thing he can resort to — whether forced, false or hurt on the inside, it will always appear the same on the outside. It’s his feeble attempt to spread hope to those around him, to reassure them and to prove to them that he is capable of remaining optimistic and calm under any circumstance, though it’s also a mask worn to hide what he’s feeling beneath it. Even at the cost of this, he wants nothing more than to see genuine smiles on everyone else, no matter their relation to him. To him they are a sign of friendship and acceptance, that there is no reason to be down, and can have him feeling uplifted so long as he knows they truly mean it.
Hidden behind the happy façade is all that he has endured throughout his past: traces of depression lie underneath that usual smile, a sensitive touch that can be tapped easily if someone managed to irk it in a way - even if they don’t mean to. Sadness developed and built up from his mere childhood on, he’s grown effective in keeping bottled up inside of him. It is the bane of each false smile and why he usually has to force his sunny expressions, though for the sake of himself and others, he keeps those heavier feelings as far back in his mind as possible.
He’s terribly sensitive, which can make it easy for those true feelings to show through. There are plenty of touchy, delicate spots on him, be them physical or mental attributes, that can set off a trigger reaction in his mind. It’s a strange quality unknown to others that he is rather self-conscious over himself in regards to everything - he may seem to brush comments of insulting intent off, but really they are a weight on his mind that will only serve to lower his self-esteem. Remarks about his size, appearance, personality or his past are what will do the trick, and while he isn’t always violent in his response, he doesn’t shy away the opportunity to retaliate with some sort of verbal comeback… however, he isn’t always keen when it comes to thinking of comebacks. Receiving compliments, however, is something that will result in a bashful and flustered reaction. While he yearns for compliments and praise, the chance that he actually gets them is so rare that they tend to catch him off guard, leaving him too surprised and grateful for words.
His physical appearance contradicts entirely how his mind has developed. He’s a mentality unable to grasp the concepts that any other man could, a mind that didn’t age with the rest of him - despite his full age and growth, it can seem at times that his mindset hasn’t quite caught up yet. The conditions and events in which he spent his earlier years showed little promise for a bright future, no matter how much he yearned, and he hadn’t ever the chance to completely grow up. It was easily discernible to others in the childish tone of his voice, though certainly capable of lowering to unnervingly deep volume, and his cracked laughter. His perspective on things is different, and he is often unable to tell the different between right and wrong; things that would commonly be rendered as strange to others, he will find normal and therefore acceptable by him. He’ll often be caught staring at people, and his reasons for doing so can be vague. It’s something that can be worrying or not, but he just likes to watch people and consider them.
Even if he’s persistent in saying that he doesn’t mind being alone, considering it’s something he’s grown used to throughout his life, there’s an evident desperation for friendship in him. Knowing that someone is accepting of him gives him a sense of hope that he is capable of making a plentiful amount of friends, though being reminded of his lack in any such companion is an immediate wrench in his heart. Though, he doesn’t allow it to stop there. He is usually quite forward and blunt in his attempts of making one, putting forth his affectionate tendencies and his apparent incomprehension of the boundaries to personal space. He will take great interest in getting to know someone he has acquainted, and it is rare there is someone with whom he’d rather not. It’s why he doesn’t like when people are so easily judged and stereotyped, because he knows from experience that one shouldn’t be judged by appearances and first impression; and believes that there’s always someone special behind their visage. However, it is decided at his own rate whether or not he will allow someone to become close, preferring not to leave himself open to just anyone. He is unaware of whatever reasons may be as to why others can be frightened away by his forwardness, but it is easy for him to become attached to those he sees as considering him a potential friend. He may cause accidental harm in this clinginess to everyone, or perhaps make them uncomfortable or frightened in his forward attempts, though he’s unable to see why this is; occasionally he will forget just how strong and sizable he actually is. That’s the only way he knows how to make friends, after all, since that and every other method he’s used seems to get him nowhere.
Awfully possessive, jealousy comes naturally and if something or someone belongs to him, then he will make sure to show it. And he certainly does not like sharing anything, be them specific people, inanimate items or articles of clothing. It’s another childish aspect of him and certainly comes with his greediness, the need to claim and take anything that sparks interest and make sure that no one else takes it from him. It is in rare moods that he allows something of his possession to be shared or borrowed, though usually it is a concept of not quite trusting others with his things and that they will not be returned to him in the end. It’s the selfish result of having lost so many things dear to him in the past, that he prefers to hold onto these few things that have remained with him rather than have someone else take such a simple happiness from him. In terms of his family, his brother complex can come off as exceedingly overbearing - but it’s descent from his worry and fear of losing them that he’ll do anything in his power to keep them happy and away from harm. If anything sets him off, it’s to see his sisters off in the hands of partners. While he wants them to find love and happiness, he’ll crack down on anyone associated with them to make sure they don’t intend to treat them poorly.
Another aspect of that jealousy is that he can in fact be jealous of just about anyone he meets. He knows that there are a vast majority of those who have had a better childhood than he; who have gotten the chance to acquire everything he could ever want, people that can so easily make friends without having everyone run away from them these days. Even if he tries to act differently in his approach with the help and advice of others, things still don’t quite work out for him. He’ll never understand how he had to be the one to end up this way, to have everyone so terrified of him without explaining to him why, why he can’t even make a simple friend that will stay with him for good.. But he’s far too full of that feigned confidence to give up on it. Since things have yet to change for the better for him, he will simply go on being himself and fighting to realize the truth that this is how it will always be for him.
In his quick attachment to others, he often takes more forward jumps in romance. His mind isn’t always very intimate, and sexual things tend to go right over his head sometimes; though his more mature mind can come as a surprise in the right situations. And it isn’t unheard of to say that he’s entirely more experienced when it comes to actual intimacy. Gaining a close relationship is where his strongest fears come into place, for he’s always petrified on the inside that his antics will scare a potential interest away - while he hates when this happens with just anyone, he’d regret it the most were it to happen to someone most significant. It can occasionally be traced into a fear of himself, a fear that he will lose control as he so often does and cause harm when most unwanted.. though things like these, he deals with by completely ignoring them. He chooses not to see the flaws in his relationships, focusing only on the positives and doing what he can to keep people close to him. He showers affection and does his best to keep a smile on a beloved’s face, often resorting to measures that can be considered cheesy: saying ridiculous things, giving and making gifts for others, being as good a partner as he can be. He does know very well, however, when he is in love with someone, and no matter how overbearing, uncomfortable or awkward he can be, he does not give up easily on these feelings. In any companionship, he’s always terrified of making someone he likes upset with or mad at him. His initial reaction to such a thing can be tearing up and doing everything in his desperate reach to make this person forgive him.
Though he is intelligent and by no means incapable of recognizing modern technology and concepts under that category, he still prefers remaining in a more old-fashioned mindset. He had developed rather slowly in terms of technological advancements and catching up with the rest of the world over the past, growing up in much less urban places; yet he still enjoys imagining things as if they were still in the older times, where everything was easier without use of silly gadgets and the like. While he may know what they are, he often hasn’t any idea how to work specific electronics and therefore simply resorts to not using them. He has a very strong knowledge of and interest in astrophysics and other physical branches of science, though that doesn’t limit him to what other degrees his country has to offer.
However, he’s oblivious to an extent. In this slow development, his English is still rather poor and he hasn’t quite caught up to new expressions and slang. If there’s anything he’s unable to understand, it’s sarcasm; a type of speech that will surpass him directly and leave him to believe that everything everyone says is actually true. So in that sense, he’s quite gullible. He’ll fall for ridiculous beliefs and myths and will often want to try them out for himself; toying with an experimental side of him. He’s lead to question expressions when they don’t make sense to him, such as idioms and words spoken in code. He takes things literally and always winds up confused upon hearing modern day speech, though if he hears a new word or phrase spoken out in the open, he’ll repeat it and use it on unsuspecting people to try and sound like he fits in. It can sound silly coming from his accent and people often don’t understand him anyway. His own speech can be very blunt, and sometimes he’ll say things that can come off as surprising and crude to others, though he’ll find it perfectly normal.
He’s very simplistic and appreciative of simple things. He is very fond of rural areas, vast country sides and such that are more calm and in tune with nature, for example - things that can be passed off as common by everyone else, though a marvel to him. There are those that will see scenery such as the sun, beaches and gardens, that are apart of their everyday lives: though they are among things he didn’t often get to see growing up, so they are things that he will bask in and come to appreciate as if they are entirely new to him. He thinks people shouldn’t take such luxuries that they have for granted, especially since they can include things he’s been deprived of for most of his existence. Tying in with this, he’s very excitable. Receiving any such simple gifts can leave him brightened for ages, and he’ll harbor these gifts like they are meant to be preserved for eternity, acting as a reminder that there is someone who keeps him in mind. Since it’s most often him delivering acts of kindness, or so he likes to think they are, it’s a rarity to receive such a thing on his end.
He’s been attached to drinking as far as he can remember, and with this stretch of time and countless consumption of alcohol, his tolerance has grown sturdy. He can drink vodka in his waking hours and stay true to it the rest of the day without feeling intoxicated, though it isn’t always that these walls keep him at bay. He’s unpredictable when drunk, though once those effects do actually take him over - after three or more bottles or so - it’s easy to tell his condition and how much he’s had. Under this intoxication he’ll often spur a bout of slurred nonsense, sloppily rambling on about things he’d never be able to explain, doing things that he may regret if he remembers the next morning. He can become remarkably more sociable than usual, more clingy and affectionate, without even the little boundaries he has while sober. Though whatever becomes of him, the truth lies that he’s always felt he’s better able to cope with everything he’s gone through by means of drowning everything in alcohol.
He acts directly upon impulse, which can lead him into situations he doesn’t quite mean. His reactions to certain situations can come offhand and unsettling to others, and there are some simple aspects that can easily brew his temper. It’s like a bomb sensitive to defusal; though even when he is mildly irritated or growing on anger, that smile is still ever present on his features. That’s one thing that can be most offsetting about him, for his expression will detain that anger unless it’s really provoked, and in being unleashed his first course of action is often violence; he released anger by ways of taking it out on others, whether it be another body or an inanimate object. Once he eventually cools from this temper, his mood can swing entirely, returning to his usual calm and content demeanor within a matter of minutes, and he’ll seek close contact to further warm his mood and make sure it’s known that everything is alright again. He can struggle to feel guilt or sympathy for others after causing possible harm or damage to him, since that’s a concept his mind simply isn’t easy to wrap around, and he isn’t very skilled in actually treating wounds. If they’re someone he cares for, he’ll show apology by covering them in owed affection soon afterward, though the same can go for someone he’s less fond of. Whether an enemy or not, he doesn’t want anyone at all to think of him as a monster. He truly wants everyone to believe him that he’s a nice person, but this troubled side of him can take that privilege away.
Pain is something deeply abhorred and feared in him: particularly physical pain, since emotional pain is a burden he’s consequently forced to develop and live with. He fears it on any level and can easily overreact to receiving only a small injury or amount of pain; while he’d like to keep a stronger outer wall, the unstable state of his mind and his inner weaknesses often leave it crumbling. He fears it just as strongly as he fears death - despite all he’s been forced to bear, there are still the littler things he’s devoted to that keeps him strong in living: his country and his people, his siblings, his chosen companions.
Even with everything that’s happened to him, he isn’t exactly vengeful. He doesn’t want people to have to suffer what he did, and he has no intentions of bringing them down to that level below him. He knows that no one, enemy or not, deserves to go through the same type of pain - even if he did ever do that to them, it wouldn’t fix anything that’s happened to him and certainly won’t make him feel better about himself. After all, in his desperation to reach friendship, holding grudges and getting revenge won’t help his attempts to acquire better relationships. If it’s all in the past, then that opens up a new chance to start things anew, amend things to be better. Though he won’t forget the past and act like it hasn’t happened, it’s simply better to push away and realize it’s over in order to begin healing. If someone has done him wrong, so long as he receives an apology he’ll be willing to make amends. Grudges don’t get him very far or make him look like a better person as he so wants to be, after all. He wants the chance to show people that he can try to change.
Eyes that have seen countless deaths and bloodshed and have looked directly into the faces of cruelty and harsh reality, won’t ever be able to get those images out of memory. Such dark memories plague his conscience each night and day despite internal pleading, attacking him in his dreams and in his general course of mind. But that’s what he was developed on, and he can’t quite help himself. His mind can run rampant with thoughts of cruelty regarding others, and sometimes he’ll be involuntarily lead to act on them. He’ll shower others in threats and mindlessly rant on about the harm he’ll want to do to someone - all with that same smile. When he isn’t imagining warm thoughts and childhood dreams, his mind is an arena of reflected bloodshed and torment he’s been forced to adjust to. He can seem cold and relentless in talking about death and possible torture, picturing scenarios in his head that only deter his mindset even further from its sane and stable condition. It has always fascinated him to see what sort of reactions he could coax out of others – to see how the mind of another worked and perhaps the sorts of weaknesses they may have.
He still shows signs of being power hungry, as gaining power by all means was a desperate solution. He thought that gaining strength and power would mean earning respect rather than fear, since he didn’t always mean it for such ill intentions.. But it’s very easy for him to get carried away with anything, and often he abuses his power for his own selfish pleasure. He can be very competitive and a sore loser in the face of defeat, and his response upon having to lose something is usually a childish sort of revenge on the other party. He wants to try and show that he hasn’t been weakened by everything in his past, even though he has, and hates being pushed to the point of surrender; simply because he doesn’t want to give up. If he’s made it this far, he might as well keep pushing and show all those haunting burdens of his that he isn’t weak enough to be brought down.
He may seem sadistic at times, though he’s never one to forget that he still indeed has a heart and knows how to put it to good use on those who deserve a special part within it, has feelings and has his own sense of care, regardless of what’s so commonly opinionated of him. He’s endured such turmoil that has left him unstable against his will, and his actions reflect that and only that, in a way he can’t ever reverse or go about fixing. A rather complex being, in all, past intimidating appearances and mindsets that one may deem psychopathic; someone as warm as a sunflower yet unintentionally savage like the midst of winter.
Family:
- Older Sister - Ukraine
- Younger Sister - Belarus
- Klavdiya Braginskaya - Mother
- Vasily Braginsky - Father
