Takuya Shiraishi

Name: Shiraishi, Takuya

Race: Human (Formerly) / Drakeling (Current, Dream)

Gender: Male

Age: 24

Hair: Pink (Human) / Black (Drakeling)

Eyes: Blue (Human) / Yellow (Drakeling)

Height: 5'9

Appearance: Takuya has a mostly human-look, barring his eyes (which have serpentine slits), ears (more elfen-like), teeth (mostly normal save for some sharper than usual teeth. Thankfully they're not venomous!), tongue (unseen, but serpentine!), his junk (Don't ask... ), and finally his tail (which is a long, prehensile banded tail). His body shape, in transitioning from human, lost a hint of masculinity in favor of just a bit more of a lithe appearance, and the flexibility of a snake to go with it. He possesses a more decidedly effeminate look that he absolutely relishes in, and in this new world he could only dream of, he's entirely too keen to use it to his advantage.

Personality: As a Human, Takuya was admittedly kind and friendly, willing to sacrifice his joy in life for his mother's comfort when she had no one else to rely on. However, when she was taken from him, he grew embittered in his sorrows, and all but suicidal in his existence. He stopped at nothing to be trained to find his targets and eliminate them, all to find the one who ended his mother's life, and visit her fate upon him. Though it cost him his life... Waking in the World of Dreams as a Drakeling became a new lease on life for Takuya. With his grudge no longer a reason to sustain him and infinite possibilities laid before him, he chose to face his life in the World of Dreams as a new beginning, enjoying all of life's pleasures that he never got the chance to enjoy in reality.

Short Bio: Takuya is, or rather would have been, a young and energetic boy with aspirations for becoming an artist, or a brewer... Anything that would allow him to pursue his fancies and generally show his creativity. However, much of that life was not in the cards for him from a very young age. With a father that died in conflict, his mother was forced to raise him alone, and though she encouraged him to follow his dreams, he could never afford to do so while helping to take care of her. Instead his dreams allowed him reprieves from a difficult life, forced to sacrifice his joys and happiness to help support his mother any way he could. As long as life could continue like this, perhaps life wasn't so bad for Takuya...

Unfortunately, reality was not one for kindness. An attempt to marry for love and stability became a difficult choice to pursue her happiness or keep Takuya, and despite choosing her son, she was callously cut down by a greedy warlord who only wanted a concubine. The young Takuya fled before he could be slain, hiding away however he could, and losing his will for the world he was born into. Little by little, he took more to sleeping just to dream of happier times, dream of lifetimes he never experienced. In time even his dreams stopped making sense to him, however, forced to see an unrecognizable sight of him submerged in an abyss with only reflections of light around him, and a voice that sought to comfort him in his hardest times. Tales of a world beyond, of beings and occurrences his world could only dream of.

In time these became transient pillars of stability for him while he forced himself to pursue a new path in his world: Revenge for his mother.

For years, Takuya sought whatever means he could to try and survive through life, taking off jobs to make coin while meeting new people, some who could point him toward others that might be able to help. People who stood opposed to the warlord who ruled their land, who had family and lives stolen from them. Takuya was taught means to not just defend himself, but take lives in the most dishonorable of ways to strike fear into his enemies. Strategic attacks, poisons, assassinations, and more, no deed was too dirty for him as long as he kept his goal in mind. Finally, his chance came one day when the warlord sought to bring women to dance for him. 

Cross-dressing to slip into the event, Takuya maintained the subterfuge for as long as he could without letting his personal feelings get in the way, and when his chance came, he drove a vengeful blade into the man's chest. However, so blinded by rage, he missed his mark and was nearly dispatched for his sloppy effort... But he was one step ahead. Using smuggled alcohol originally meant to poison him and his forces-in-waiting, Takuya instead set fire to the potent alcohols, causing a roaring inferno to engulf the room and the keep of the Warlord. Mistakenly believing he intended to use the fire to flee, the Warlord realized Takuya intended to perish with him there when he eliminated every means of escape, before they fought once more. In his final moments, a bloodied Takuya smiled as the life drained from his eyes, listening to the pained screams as the warlord burned alive, before the flames encroached on him. 

As his eyes closed and he breathed his last, the only sounds he could hear were a familiar heartbeat... Ones that sounded like those he heard when he dreamed. It would be his final comfort as he left the world.

However, the end was not truly the end for Takuya, as the world he could only dream about greeted his eyes as he opened them... Along with the amused face of the woman who cared for him in his dreams the whole time. Calling herself Tia, the unusual woman was perhaps the most mystical being he'd ever witnessed, until he saw his reflection in the water and realized he looked nothing like he used to. Though it took some time to process and understand, Tis eventually helped him realize that this was a new chance at life, and how he chose to use it was up to him. From this point on, Takuya no longer has grudges to sustain him, and instead faced each new day with a sense of delight he had not held in years... Unaware that his life in the Dream World would not be as problem-free as he originally envisioned.

Powers they have in dream world: 

- A holdover from his training in the Real World, Takuya bears surprisingly capable martial prowess. It isn't supernatural by any means, but he is rather adept at taking down foes in close combat, unarmed or using small/easily concealed/improvised weapons. 

- His true inheritance from coming to the Dream World, however, is the ability to utilize venomous magic in different ways. Although his mastery of this is very premature and bears room for growth, he can weaponize sudden burst of toxic aether in his physical or weapon strikes at present, as well as purge it from allies who may be suffering from poisoning both mundane and magical by sucking it out to quash within himself.

Orientation: Bisexual

Extra Details: 

Species: Takuya was reborn into the World of Dreams as a Drakeling. Considered dragon-adjacent, Drakelings are one of several dragon-species beings in the world with arguably the least amount of Dragon-defining characteristics. They are closer to snakes or serpents, and are often times mistaken as harbingers of ill-fortune compared to the prestige more impressive dragon-like creatures earn. Despite these misgivings, they're as normal as any other person and their potential for good or evil is solely up to how they choose to present themselves. Many Drakelings are said to be the result of a wandering Goddess, a woman simply named Tia, but few people know what she truly looks like for fear that if others knew what she looked like, they would be out for her blood.

Attire: Perhaps because of a lingering attachment to the Real World, he finds comfort in clothes with a heavy eastern aesthetic due to their familiarity and comfort. 

Occupation: Takuya doesn't have anything that might be considered stable work, but he often likes to follow one of his previous dreams by working at a 'certain establishment' during day hours, and changing his work focus to something a little more free in the evening hours. It's location is hardly a secret, but the business endeavors to maintain a legitimate relationship with locals for the sake of comfort and joy without causing undue friction. Takuya has no illusions about his promiscuous behaviors, and though he'll relentlessly flirt with anyone as long as they look cute, he understands that a life like his is not one meant for stability, so all he can do is enjoy what he does while others seek the stability they need in their lives.