I sort of just expanded on both sections together I HOPE THIS IS OK??
Revision: As Holly Heights is a vastly different setting than the city Nic spent most of his life in, he spent a great deal of time feelings unsettled and out of place in such a conventionally comfortable atmosphere. Used to dealing with prejudice his whole life, it took Nic a while to relax his naturally guarded nature, and by the latter end of his time there he had adjusted this somewhat. He was more comfortable with the people he did know, and was less anti-social due to the fact that he had gotten used to the fact that people were not going to hate him just for the fact that he’s tagged. He doesn’t notice the change much, but even Worrick, his closest friend, noted that he seemed more open and friendly than he is at home.
His rough exterior remains, but it’s a lot easier to get glimpses of his softer side now that he’s spent so long in a calm place like Holly Heights. He’s had times to make friends with more well-adjusted people, and while the few months he’s spent there isn’t going to undo how maladjusted Nic is, he is definitely at least more accustomed to dealing with “normal” people. Whie his mindset is still mostly accustomed to the place he’s from, at the very least he will adapt to a place like Haven, he is better able to empathize with people unused to pervasively shitty living conditions. The only part of his mindset that has changed somewhat significantly is the fact that he no longer expects prejudice from others, he’s only just not surprised if he ever receives it.
The body swap event also, quite obviously, allowed him to see things from other people’s perspective. He was able to hear for the first time, though he claims it was “overrated,” and it gave him a reason to connect with Chuck. He only saw Chuck as someone easily scared, but through the event came to understand the idea of someone who does what they have to do even if they’re scared. As someone who doesn’t seem to understand what it is to feel fear, it was a new idea for him. The people who Nic came to know; Chuck, Maka, and Hiruma mainly, had very different kinds of strength. Where Nic is from, physical strength often trumps all else, especially for him.
Maka also took up the habit of scolding him for his frequent self-destructive behavior and while, with Nic as stubborn as he is, he didn’t exactly stop, it did sort of put the idea in his head that that kind of behavior actually hurts other people besides himself. Most of the people back home who care about him either have other complications in their relationship or are too polite to yell at him about it. In general, she held him accountable for a lot of his behavior that no one else has properly done before. It didn’t do a whole lot to actually change anything, but it certainly made him more conscious of it.
Re: -> REVISE
Revision:
As Holly Heights is a vastly different setting than the city Nic spent most of his life in, he spent a great deal of time feelings unsettled and out of place in such a conventionally comfortable atmosphere. Used to dealing with prejudice his whole life, it took Nic a while to relax his naturally guarded nature, and by the latter end of his time there he had adjusted this somewhat. He was more comfortable with the people he did know, and was less anti-social due to the fact that he had gotten used to the fact that people were not going to hate him just for the fact that he’s tagged. He doesn’t notice the change much, but even Worrick, his closest friend, noted that he seemed more open and friendly than he is at home.
His rough exterior remains, but it’s a lot easier to get glimpses of his softer side now that he’s spent so long in a calm place like Holly Heights. He’s had times to make friends with more well-adjusted people, and while the few months he’s spent there isn’t going to undo how maladjusted Nic is, he is definitely at least more accustomed to dealing with “normal” people. Whie his mindset is still mostly accustomed to the place he’s from, at the very least he will adapt to a place like Haven, he is better able to empathize with people unused to pervasively shitty living conditions. The only part of his mindset that has changed somewhat significantly is the fact that he no longer expects prejudice from others, he’s only just not surprised if he ever receives it.
The body swap event also, quite obviously, allowed him to see things from other people’s perspective. He was able to hear for the first time, though he claims it was “overrated,” and it gave him a reason to connect with Chuck. He only saw Chuck as someone easily scared, but through the event came to understand the idea of someone who does what they have to do even if they’re scared. As someone who doesn’t seem to understand what it is to feel fear, it was a new idea for him. The people who Nic came to know; Chuck, Maka, and Hiruma mainly, had very different kinds of strength. Where Nic is from, physical strength often trumps all else, especially for him.
Maka also took up the habit of scolding him for his frequent self-destructive behavior and while, with Nic as stubborn as he is, he didn’t exactly stop, it did sort of put the idea in his head that that kind of behavior actually hurts other people besides himself. Most of the people back home who care about him either have other complications in their relationship or are too polite to yell at him about it. In general, she held him accountable for a lot of his behavior that no one else has properly done before. It didn’t do a whole lot to actually change anything, but it certainly made him more conscious of it.