Character Profile: Nichol Hawking

Tita and Nichol first met upon a hilltop in the metropolis several years ago, and (for Nichol, at least) it was love at first sight.

It's touched upon more in the manga, but Nichol actually comes from a pretty long line of skilled pilots, and he's himself ranked as one of the top five in all of Yietta. Tragically, though, he is now an orphan. His parents died while attempting to win a particularly infamous and grueling race. His last remaining family, his uncle, died shortly before he met Tita. These days, he's known as "The Crownless Emperor" for having undeniable skills but yet to have had an opportunity to really bring them out (again, read the manga to learn more). This should give an indication on just how good he really is as a pilot. At the helm, he's truly a dependable member of the crew.

It's just in his off moments that he gets a little squirrelly. Considering that he (along with Roger) attempted to peek in on Tita from a fish tank above her bath, it's easy to see that Nichol has a little trouble keeping his hormones in check. Underneath the voyeuristic exterior, however, Nichol cares deeply and sincerely for Tita (sometimes, though, the crew likes to push his buttons). And even though Tita can flare up when he's not being gentlemanly (she certainly had something ready for him when she caught him in that fish tank), Tita quietly acknowledges that he isn't all bad. Maybe it's the fact that they're both orphans that gives them at least some common ground.