TW: extremely bad mental health, intense self-hatred, allusion to suicidal ideation

Name: Apikalia
(Ey-peh-kay-lee-ah)

Nicknames: Api, Kali

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual

Species: Kaupe

Looks:

(Faceclaim: Tak Shimizu - @takezo.shimizu)
He's 6'1
*Okay so no pictures really capture it, but there is a live-action Kaupe in the show 'Legends of Tomorrow' that has the gist of what he looks like when shifted, though my version is a bit more lycan-like, more specifically in the leg shape and hands, but with a torso more human than animal; what fur he does have is a deep, rich black and his eyes turn silver*

Personality: Apikalia seems rather unassuming, if not unapproachable, at first glance. While he has a sharp, intimidating resting face, nothing about him really screams 'danger' beyond that. But he is not above his Kaupe nature, making him dangerous even if he doesn't always mean to be. A slave to his own whims and desires, pushed forward by more primal instincts, he is absolutely a dangerous entity and should be treated with caution. However, he does his best to exert what amount of self-control he can, which isn't really a lot, but it's makes him feel better to try. While Apikalia is a malevolent Kaupe by birth and nature, he is not an evil creature of the dark the way some present him and believe him to be. A victim of centuries of superstition and fear, it's hard on Apikalia's mental health. While he cannot be anything other than he is, he struggles with an intense self-loathing, resulting in an icy demeanor and explosive emotions when he loses control. Beyond that, though, he cares very deeply for those he sees as family. He will throw himself between them and danger without a second thought - he would die for those he loves, but he lives for them instead because that is so much harder to do. Apikalia is a deeply passionate individual with a thirst for life. Incredibly intense, even when he is simply sitting with his own thoughts that intensity rolls off him in waves. He may try to act against his nature, but it takes a lot of energy, creating a short fuse on his patience. However, when he allows himself to truly be who is, there is a magnetic quality to his behavior and demeanor. A new confidence overtakes him, one that he isn't even aware of, and he can have an intense and lulling affect on those around him. His danger is intoxicating, when he releases all his defenses. He can make even the worst things sound like good ideas. That's what Apikalia is so afraid of, though - that even though he knows something is wrong, he'll not only give into it, but lead others down that path, too. Apikalia is a bitter, angry young man, those emotions directed at his pack, at his very nature, himself, and the world. Why was he born this way? He knows he's dangerous, he knows he has the capacity for great harm and corruption, and he is terrified he'll fall down that path.

Likes: painting, poetry, fighting, training, unconditional love and respect, his family/loved ones, flowers, the beauty of nature

Dislikes: full moons, the fear that surrounds him, being a Kaupe, his pack, the threat he poses, falling down a dark path

Powers: shifts into a Kaupe (looks explained above); heightened speed, senses, strength, durability, and reflexes while in human form
Stronger than most Kaupe, he has a charm affect - it's basically a mechanism inherent in their DNA and very nature that is meant to subdue prey/victims and make them more amenable/malleable; basically, the charm downplays the true threat of the Kaupe, and the victims can fall easily to their suggestions and persuasions because the Kaupe seems unthreatening/trustworthy/intoxicating

Backstory: Apikalia is actually a Makamae, a child born from the Hele Malihini pilgrimage. Born in the Moon Pool, he was born without the human half that his father would have contributed. Only, in an extremely rare outcome, Apikalia was born a Kaupe. The first new Kaupe in a very, very long time, they didn't know until he was five years old. It was a cruel stroke of fate, that he was able to know what the love of the pack felt like, only to have it all stripped away. He was always a very shy kid, without many friends, who was a bit rowdier and rough than the others, but not outright harmful. So the shift, while a surprise, wasn't entirely a shock. He was immediately shipped off to the caves that housed the other four Kaupe that existed, making him number five - though one has since passed, their numbers returning to four with Apikalia as the youngest by far. Ripped away from the love and safety that he knew, his transition was actually far worse than those raised in the caves. He once knew warmth, but now his life was different. He was violent and angry and animalistic, even so young, and hurt his fellow Kaupe even though he didn't mean to. He couldn't control it. It only got worse, and when he was 13 he killed someone. While the caves are deeply hidden in the island, for the protection of the Kaupe and other inhabitants, every so often one of the humans accidentally find themselves stranded in the cave system. Apikalia was especially bad as a pre-teen, dealing with hormones and heightened emotions, and this woman stumbled in on a bad day. Apikalia doesn't really remember why he attacked her, though fuzzy memories recall she was already bleeding when she arrived which very well may have triggered him. He only remembers the aftermath - a bloody cave, the woman torn apart, and Apikalia standing over her covered in blood. He'd felt nothing after the attack but sated, and when he was finally found by the others he was simply curled up in the mess he'd made, sleeping. Everything was cleaned up and it wasn't until days later that he came out of his hazy post-bloodlusted state and was horrified at what he had done. From that day he tried very hard not to hurt anyone else, and while he's slipped up here and there, he's undergone a remarkable transformation. His friendship with Makani Alama is a big reason for this, for she is his only friend in the entire world. His family consists of four people, and she is one of them. Meeting her when he was 13 and she 15, a few months after that attack, was hard. He'd jumped on her, nearly hurt her, before he'd scrambled back off of her when he recognized her scent. Through her friendship and patience, he transformed. Irritable, hotheaded, short-tempered, and icy, it's still far better than the physically violent outbursts that his family was subjected to. While some of the younger generation sneak into the cave systems, allowing Apikalia some socialization among peers, he's still remarkably isolated. Depending on who sneaks in, he feels gawked at, like a zoo animal. That sets him off, resulting in more than a few injuries, but proudly never any kills. While Apikalia is more unstable than most Kaupe, in that he is more subject to mood swings, has a more powerful charm, and wasn't brought up Kaupe from birth, there is still something distinctly werewolf in him, perhaps a remnant of the time he once spent among the pack. Better adjusted to company than his fellow Kaupe, he can connect with the pack members who sneak in in a different way than his fellow Kaupe, yet remains somehow also seems the most unapproachable. But he understands them, longs to be like them while simultaneously cursing them. Very intense and complicated, Apikalia's life has been anything but ordinary.

Other: Apikalia has not seen his mother since he was sent to the Kaupe
He seems the Kaupe as his family, and the dynamic works in such a way that he is the youngest brother/son; the next Kaupe close to him in age is over a decade older than he is, yet they are more like siblings
Makani Alama is the only other person Apikalia sees as family
His name means 'my father is joy' and he was named that way because the man who is biologically his father was such a light, joyous, kind man
He is half Japanese, half Hawaiian
His voice is very gravelly from a long time without use; he only talks to Makani, really, using the Kaupe language to communicate with the others; the language is a mix of some sort of sign language and animalistic grunts, growls, and other sounds
Apikalia loves to paint, but it also acts as a way for him to expell some of his emotions; his work is very dark, gritty, intense, and even scary, representing his own emotions and feelings and views of himself - much of his work is abstract self-portrait, in one way or another
He also loves poetry, but he cannot read or write - he loves to hear it recited to him, and his memory is impeccable
Like the other Kaupe, he cannot read or write, but he is great with languages; he speaks the Kaupe language, English, and Hawaiian, and he can pick up on bits and bobs of other languages pretty easily
Apikalia is religious, but in a very hateful way - he knows there is a Goddess, he just hates everything about her and every other divine being that has ever existed
The underground cave systems in which he lives is quite massive, especially for only four people, so he has a network of caves all to himself that act as a sort of 'wing,' so to speak; there are a few spots in the cave systems were there are openings above them, allowing the moon and fresh air to filter in; there are also two pools of water
Apikalia leaves the cave system really only to hunt or meet up with Makani, but he doesn't go far for fear of hurting someone; he ventures out of the caves far more than his family, though
Being Kaupe, his night vision is incredible; in fact, Kaupe are naturally nocturnal creatures, and Apikalia lives somewhere between that, usually waking up around early-mid afternoon and going to bed sometime before dawn
He can sew and cook
He does have poor mental health, and though very much not diagnosed, he does have depression, an anger disorder, and suffers from extreme self-hatred
He doesn't scare people away when they come down into the caves unless he really doesn't want to deal with them
He can move near-silently, especially in the caves
He is actually quite lean and small for a Kaupe, who are normally larger and bulkier than he is, but he's actually got way more charm and deep bloodlust than the other existing Kaupe