❝It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.❞
Normal ||Pompeii | Bastille
Fighting ||Dragon Force | Yasuharu Takanashi
Emotional || Ichiban no Takaramono (My most Precious Treasure) | Jun Maeda
Death || Will of Heart | Shiro Sagisu
Anger || The Power to Strive | Shiro Sagisu
Out of Control ||What Can You See in Their Eyes | Shiro Sagisu
❝There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.❞
Raka
∞ Nickname(s) ∞ "Ehh, you can call me whatever you like as long as it isn't mean."
"Puppy", "Pup", and "Two-Face" are the most common, but you can call Raka anything else you could think of and he'll respond. Names are important here.
∞ Alias ∞ "My, 'Titles,' how inane... I didn't ask for them. Apparently, some little twit thought he could use them to show off my power. That particular brat is no longer breathing."
"Raijuu," while this is really more of a statement of species, that same individual also called Raka a, "Heavenly Thunder Beast." While the classification stuck, Raka hates it.
∞ Age ∞ "I suppose this makes me an adult now, eh?"
Raka is, biologically, eighteen years old. However, due to the nature of his contract with the Mistress, his true age is, probably, some hundreds of years old. Raka has been a captive for a long time.
∞ Gender ∞ "Here I thought that one was obvious. Come on now..."
Male
∞ Sexuality ∞ "This is... incredibly vexing, and don't you dare tell anyone I said this... I just want someone to love me? Is that so wrong?"
Closeted Bisexual.
∞ Role ∞ "Fitting, I suppose."
Employee Manager.
∞ Face Claim ∞
Laxus, Fairy Tail
❝Lions, wolves, and vultures don't live together in herds, droves, or flocks. Of all the animals of prey, man is the only sociable one. Every one of us preys upon his neighbor, and yet we herd together.❞
In human form, Raka is five feet and nine inches tall. He weighs 162 lbs, approximately, and has an excellent BMI (Body Mass Index, a reading of the total measure of fat on a person's body) of 6.5%. He is well muscled, but not overly bulky. He is thin, but not overly skinny either. He is just the right size for his shape, height, and weight. This form is perfect for daily life.
Lastly, in his True, Raijuu Form, Raka stands roughly eight feet tall, is roughly six feet wide, and is roughly fourteen eight feet long with a seven foot tail. He weighs roughly one and a half tons, and is muscled rather powerfully, albeit not bulkily. The Raijuu is built for speed, not strength. Raka is capable of running up to speeds of 100 miles per hour for extended periods of time, but must rest after continued exertion, just like all mammals. Raka's limit seems to be running, or flying, for an uninterrupted hour, at his maximum speed. Further, if Raka allowed it, one could ride on his back, as it is wide enough to support one adult or two children. Lastly, though strength is not it's forte, the Raijuu is quite strong, capable of bowling through a wall, or ripping steel apart with its jaws.
∞ Hair color ∞ "A good color for me, I suppose."
Raka's hair is a lovely blond, cropped short. It's soft to the touch though it isn't very shiny. When he transforms, Raka's hair becomes white fur, and though it is soft, it's much rougher than his human form's hair.
∞ Eye color ∞ "I like his eyes better."
In his human form, Raka's eyes are a fierce, determined Amber, a mix of brown and gold. When he transforms, Raka's eyes become an eerie, bright green.
∞ Distinguishable Facial Features ∞ "Just... This..."
Just one. Raka sports a lightning bolt shaped scar over his right eye, though he has no recollection of how he got it. All of his memories from before the Contract are blurry, evident of his extended stay within the Kurokawa Inn.
❝Laughter is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for just a moment.❞
✦ Growls when upset.
✦ Knocks thrice upon the frame of a door before entering.
✦ Prays daily to the God of Storms, Susano-o
∞ Likes ∞
♥ Smoking after a meal. Raka carries a pipe in his jacket pocket which he uses to smoke a strange purple flowered plant. The smoke is simultaneously sweet and bitter, and changes colors as it cools. It leaves Raka's mouth as a bright red, when it's hot, before cooling slowly to orange, purple, then blue, and finally, to grey before disappearing.
♥ Honesty. Raka is a big fan of telling the truth all the time. Doing so is a great way to get on his good side.
♥ Loyalty or dedication. To Raka, the ability to stick to your guns, no matter what anyone else tells you, is the single best trait you can have. Sora deeply respects people who are dedicated to something, even if it's not something he finds particularly interesting. As long as you're working hard towards a goal, Raka will respect that goal and do his best not to get in the way of it's completion. Provided, of course, the goal isn't overtly evil or malicious, or in opposition of his own goals, namely, his freedom from the Mistress.
∞ Dislikes ∞
✖ Arrogance. Raka hates people who look down on others.
✖ Senseless violence. Living with a beast inside him has made Raka particularly sensitive to excessive amounts of violence. During any battle he's called upon to partake in, Raka will always stop the match the second the bout has been decided. He does so by stopping his attacks just short of actually striking his opponent, and asks for their peaceful surrender. Raka hates seeing people hurt other people, or being a cause of someone else's pain, for no reason.
✖ Fighting with his powers. Raka is good at what he does. Too good. It isn't fun, it isn't fair, and it certainly isn't a thing to be proud of being good at.
∞ Talents ∞
✔ Playing stringed instruments. In what little free time he's given, Raka has learned to play the violin, cello, and mandolin with a moderate degree of skill. While he's no virtuoso, Raka is good enough to play his way out of a paper bag.
✔ Blowing particular shapes with his pipe smoke. Raka's gotten good enough to make more than just rings too, he can make basic shapes, letters, numbers, and even create accurate pictures and representations of figures with his smoke, provided there is no drastic air movement in the place he's blowing smoke.
✔ Fighting with his powers. The Raijuu is an apex predator. Raka didn't have to learn any particular style to be a powerful fighter. The Raijuu within him simply knew how with its instincts. Raka, being an intelligent sort of guy, figured out the rest on his own.
∞ Hobbies ∞
✔ Playing his instruments. If one were to ever sneak into Raka's room without him noticing, they would be able to witness the plaintive melodies that haunt his eerie. Raka only plays after dark, on nights when the sky is clear and the moon is bright.
✔ Flying. While Raka is bound, as per the Contract, to stay within the boundaries of the Inn, unless under the Mistress's orders, he loves to soar, winglessly, through the sky. The feeling of true freedom, no matter how fleeting, always manages to make him smile.
✔ Blowing smoke. Due to his Contract, Raka's not allowed to die needlessly. Though Raka can still be overpowered and killed with physical injury, his body is immune to age and disease. As such, no matter how much he smokes, Raka will never get sick or die. The only sign he even smokes at all is the minor raspy quality of his voice, but even then, it could just as easily be attributed to his bestial nature. Regardless, Raka is fond of smoking his pipe, and making pictures with the colored smokes his pipe weed makes.
∞ Fears ∞
✘ Coulrophobia. The unnatural fear of clowns or jesters. The fuckers are unnatural.
✘ Claustrophobic. Raka hates small, enclosed spaces. Makes sense, the Raijuu is kinda big, and Raka's been, essentially, imprisoned all his life.
✘ Drowning. Though Raka isn't the strongest swimmer, that isn't his main worry. Excessive amounts of water can short out his powers and physically make him hurt.
∞ Flaws/Weaknesses ∞
✘ Raka's forms are weak to energies. Extreme sources of heat, kinetic energy, cold, gravitational energy, and acid are all just as effective on him in his beastly form as they would be on his human form. While he does have some protection from the elements in the form of scales and fur, Raka's Raijuu is a predator, not prey. Between hunts, the Raijuu is meant to hunker down somewhere safe, dry, and of a mild temperature to raise young, rest from the hunt, and escape the elements. It is not meant to endure them.
✘ Large amounts of water, big enough to submerge the Raijuu, even if only partially, are very dangerous to it. The water causes his electricity to fritz out, and Raka cannot control it properly. In some cases, if the Raijuu has a particularly large amount of energy stored within it, the resulting, "short circuit," can cause an explosion of electrical energy that is very harmful to Raka's physical form.
✘ The Raijuu's hide is sturdy, but it is made to repel slashing and bludgeoning attacks from stronger predators and rival Raijuu. The scales it possesses are not meant to handle piercing attacks. This makes the Raijuu susceptible to attacks such as higher caliber gunfire, and anti-vehicle weaponry. Supernaturally sharp arrows, spears, or spikes, will be just as effective on Raka as they would be on any other target. Piercing the Jinouga's hide is the best way to injure it.
✘ The Raijuu can disperse energy as well as absorb it, but its ability to disperse and convert electrical energy isn't anywhere near as tenacious as it's ability to absorb it. The Raijuu can be forced to short circuit if it is overflowed with electrical energy. Further, if the Raijuu's, "internal battery," is full, the electricity it so readily absorbs cannot be stored, and will, instead, damage the Raijuu's body like normal.
✘ Though the Raijuu's form is fast and strong, it isn't particularly durable at all. Faster or stronger opponents, as well as more durable opponents, will have an easy time deflecting or evading the Raijuu's attacks and could outlast or outperform it.
✘ Raka is excessively loyal. He would trade a single friend for the well-being of the world. Skilled opponents can take advantage of this and manipulate Raka by threatening his friends and family.
✘ Each of Raka's forms has it's own specific weaknesses. These are simple. The Human form has almost no physical offensive or defensive power to speak of, making him, at his very best, a Peak Human Athlete. He does maintain some control over his electricity within this form, but the amount of control is no where near as substantial as it is in his True form. On the other hand, Raka's True Raijuu form is rather agile and strong, but it isn't durable at all. Further, while a Raijuu is known for it's lightning speed, it isn't exactly one of the most physically strong species of Yokai. More durable or physically powerful foes won't have a hard time outlasting or outperforming the Raijuu. Lastly, though Raka is somewhat intelligent, he isn't any more so than your standard college freshman. Todd can be easily outsmarted by more intelligent foes.
∞ Secrets ∞
⌛ Raka is bi. However, he doesn't yet know that he is.
⌛ Raka's contract is different in nature than most of the other contracts involving the Mistress's constituents. Instead of binding a human to the Spirit world, Raka's Contract seals the powers of a Yokai into a more human form, allowing him to be manipulated more freely.
❝I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be.❞
~Raiju Physiology: This power allows the wielder, in this case Raka, to transform into a Raijuu, and back again, at will. A form of shape shifting, this power stems from Raka himself, as he is, at his deepest level, a Raijuu. However, his Contract with the mistress, as well as his own power, allow him to take the shape of a human. Further, and quite luckily, when he uses his powers, his clothes are absorbed into his new shape. When he assumes his human form once again, his clothes come back as well. Don't ask him how any of that works, the science isn't all there yet. Raka's power grants him a few different abilities, which lend themselves to usefulness in combat. Raka is capable of using any combination of his abilities for as long as he has the energy to fuel them. Obviously, the longer, harder, faster, etc. that Raka does anything, he will fatigue and become weaker. Naturally, the only way to replenish this internal supply of energy is by eating, sleeping, and resting - e.g. not using his powers. However, the only way to increase the amount of energy he has is by exercising, training, and meditating - using his powers in a guided manner. The best way to explain all of Raka’s powers is to list what he is capable of, then describe what can be done in each of his forms: Human, or True Raijuu. The following is a list of abilities that Raka possesses:
~Raijuu’s Shape: When Raka changes his shape, his body grows its own scales and natural weapons. In regards to scales, whenever Raka changes his shape, his body becomes covered with a tough, scaly hide, which is capable of turning away most human weaponry. That being said, Raijuu is a predator, not prey. His scales are meant to protect him from errant horns, antlers, or hooves of the beasts he hunts. The Raijuu is always on the attack, not defense. While his hide is tough, higher calibers of weaponry, such as anti-vehicle, are still capable of hurting Raka, and can be quite a useful deterrent. The same can be said of particularly sharp or hard melee weapons. Though it is rather hard to slash through his skin, his scales do not protect him very well from piercing or blunt attacks. While these weapons would still need to be moving very quickly, or with a good amount of force, they will have a much easier time effecting Raka than slashing attacks. Energy, however, such as heat, cold, sound (vibrational energy), corrosive (acidic), gravitational (extreme pressure), and kinetic (movement/momentum) energies can still harm Raka as usual. Raka’s natural weapons, however, are a much different story. Made of incredibly dense, and wicked sharp bone, Raka is capable of generating the following Natural Weapons: claws, teeth, horns, and a tail. These weapons are hard to break, though it’s not impossible.
~Electricity Mastery: Only while in True Raijuu form, Raka becomes capable of freely manipulating, generating, absorbing, and infusing electricity into his body from his environment and vice versa. Due to this, Raka is immune to electricity while in his Raijuu form. He benefits from a less potent form of this ability while maintaining his human form. Raka's Raijuu form is capable of generating, storing, and releasing up to 500,000 million volts of electricity at once. This amount of energy is equivalent to, roughly, 5 strikes of lightning. Obviously, these figures represent the daily limit of his abilities. Raka would need to rest after producing such an amount for a full eight hours before being able to do so again. Further, he would require sufficient calories to recharge his internal batteries as well.
~Enhanced Condition: Raka benefits from enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, regeneration, immune response, reflexes, and physical senses. His body was built to be the ultimate predator, and is rather formidable. While his Human form is powerful, these benefits are massively more impressively while Raka is transformed into his Raijuu form.
~Wingless Flight: While Raka is only capable of displaying the power of flight in his Raiju form, the benefits are rather exhilarating. When transformed into his Rainu form, Raka can, "step," on air, allowing him to levitate freely as if the air underneath his paws were solid and capable of supporting his weight. Further, Raka can, "run," on air, allowing him to, "fly." Although this flight is somewhat limited, as Raka can only do so under the open sky and while in his Raijuu form, Raka is capable of, "running," on air and can use this form of transportation interchangeably with his land movement. Lastly, Raka moves at the same rate of speed through the air as he does on land.
Raka is, in a word, blunt. He is always straight-forward and to the point, no matter what it is he's doing. This doesn't mean that he's incapable of lying, or other forms of larceny, however, that being said, Raka would greatly prefer to tell the truth and be done with it. Further, he never sugar-coats anything, and barely seems to realize that other beings are capable of feeling discomfort due to his actions or words. This isn't because Raka is a particularly callous, or ever pernicious individual, but rather, he respects others highly enough to give them his honest opinion, even if it might hurt their feelings. He knows that information is important, and misinformation could end up being the cause of much worse fates than a mildly bruised ego. Therefore, he would much rather tell someone that they aren't a good pianist, than lie to their face about their talents, thereby saving them the embarrassment of a poor performance in front of a less accepting audience. This is, by far, Raka's most dominant personality trait, and colors his interactions with everyone.
Despite Raka's perceived appearance as harsh, or even uncaring, there could be nothing further from the truth. As it was stated previously, Raka's frankness stems from his concern for others. Despite his rough exterior, Raka's heart is warm, and gentle. This is not to say that Raka is above the occasional bout of gruffness or insensitivity, but he usually tries to hide his irritation of/with others from the parties involved. While Raka had always been a caring individual, this two-facedness, in which Raka hides the darker parts of his personality from others, is what garners the bad reputation Raka is known to possess. Despite his caring nature, and almost even bolstered by his sensitivity of others, Raka is cursed with a vile temper, and is prone to fits of rage, in which he curses everything around him, and all but attacks people who try to get close to him, much like a wounded animal. This is, usually, due to the fact that someone has hurt his feelings, or the feelings of one of Raka's friends, causing him to overreact in response to the damage done.
Raka, in spite of his large heart, and honest mentality, seems to be cursed with a form of social apathy. While he would like to make friends with others, and share in their lives, he is, surprisingly, rather shy around new people and has always found it very difficult to make new friends, or jump into social situations in which he is unfamiliar or uncomfortable. This stems from nothing less than an inferiority complex, stimulated by his blunt personality. He knows that the value he places on the truth is much higher than most other people, further, he knows that this hasn't done much for him except earn him a bad reputation. As such, Raka tries not to engage in social events too much. He believes that he would ruin the event, so he tends to stay away from them. That being said, his shyness isn't enough to completely disengage his sense of propriety. If entirely necessary, Raka will show up, say greet the host of the party, eat something, if snacks are available, and then leave. He is always polite, but he would much rather leave early under the guise of having work to do than stick around and make a fool of himself.
Lastly, Raka is loyal to the point of utter foolishness. As it was stated earlier, Raka has very few friends, and he makes new ones very slowly. As such, what few friends he does have are very precious to him, more so, even, than his own life. Raka would do anything for a friend, even if he knew that friend was planning on stabbing him in the back. He would much rather help a friend than himself, which is, frankly speaking, the reason he is still working at the Inn. He's friends with a few of the workers there, despite his reputation for gruffness, and brutal honesty, and he feels like he would much rather stay and suffer under the hand of the mistress, than leave what few friends he does have to rot without him. As such, Raka's always overworking himself for the same of others. In fact, this has often lead to him getting in trouble with the mistress who would prefer that the takes she gives out remain delegated as she had originally said they should be. While Raka can do just about every job at the Inn with a good degree of skill, he couldn't do so all by himself, and he is much more valuable to the Mistress in his most recent faculty, as her hand, and the enforcer of her will within the Inn.
❝Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.❞
Currently, none.
∞ Most Precious Person ∞ "....."
Raka has none, so far. While he respects the Mistress, and works for her out of debt, obligation, and gratitude for taking him in, he does resent that she's keeping his Contract hidden from him. He's forgotten the Contract's stipulations, and Raka expects that his Contract is the reason for the loss of his memories. Obviously, is is true, meaning that the Mistress won't let him see even one letter of his Contract.
∞ History ∞ "There's been trials and tribulations... Of those, I've had my share. I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river, and now I'm almost there."
There is not much that is known about Raka's past, given his current memories of it. It's expected that his Contract with the Mistress has muddled with them. It is also assumed that only the Ristress knows the full scope of Raka's past, and keeps a record of it somewhere, bound in an elaborately decorated book with a leather cover.
∞ Other ∞ "I think that's everything... What else could you want? What about you, huh? What if I turn the questions on you?"
None as of yet.