Choi Hyeok-jae

Hyeok-jae Choi ( hangul: 최혁재; hanja: 崔焱煥; Choi Hyuk-jae ) or simply Hyeokjae is a Korean "lesser dragon" or imugi ( hangul: 이무기; hanja: 龍; yong / ryong ) and linked to the elemental aspect of fire. Since his "birth" he has lived in Korea along with his older brother Choi Jae-hwan until their self-imposed exile and eventual relocation to Hong Kong. As an imugi, he has not yet earned the powerful magical orb known as the Yeouiju ( 여의주 ) that would transform him into a full-fledged dragon like his brother.

Background
Hyeok-jae is the young of the two dragon "brothers" and was born out of the Hallasan shield volcano located on Jeju Island. He is considered the younger not only because he is still an imugi but because he was in fact "born" slightly later than his older sibling. In his earliest days he lived for quite a long time on Jeju Island without ever seeking out his older brother. He was seen as a kind and benevolent spirit of the island despite his close association with the slumbering volcano and the obvious danger his fiery powers could present. He was treated well by the locals, sparking a love and interest of human culture. When his innate bond with Jae-hwan eventually drew him to the mainland, he was revered as gods by the locals, and together with Jae-hwan were invited to live in the royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty (Gyeongbokgung Palace ( 경복궁 ) most notably) and were praised and honoured and their presence seen as a good omen.

While Jae-hwan had a tendency to be the more responsible and focused of the two, Hyeok-jae felt that his time spent as an Imugi was meant to be enjoyed. Though he has not progressed as his brother has, he blames this less on his attitude over the years and more on his difficulty in dealing with his own abilities.

When the wars came and the Japanese invaded he had a strong desire to fight and defend the people from the danger of the outsiders. Jae-hwan disagreed with this. feeling that they were really not meant to intervene in the wars of humanity. Hyeok-jae did as much as he was able to do without risking either Jae-hwan's wrath at his (occasional) disobedience or posing a danger himself to his own people. As it seemed the population felt that having two dragons (or rather, a dragon and an imugi) on their side should have guaranteed victory, their requests for help and wishes and aid of all kinds were numerous and over time. Where Jae-hwan began to grow irritated and disrespected, Hyeok-jae felt quite guilty that he was unable to do more. As a result of the Japanese occupation which led to quite a bit of destruction -- including Gyeongbokgung Palace which he treasured dearly -- Jae-hwan developed a strong bias and dislike of Japan and its culture, which he holds onto to this day. Hyeok-jae never developed a hard-line stance even after that occurred, more focused on the suffering that the wars caused -- noting this on both sides. While he loved the Korean people dearly he disliked seeing the killing on either side, especially since it was clear that many of those fighting on the enemy side were only there because it was their duty, not because they were bad people.

Because Jae-hwan held himself at a distance after this, retreating for the most part from being such an obvious presence among the people, Hyeok-jae too was forced apart from the people he loved. This caused him to develop and harbour some resentments towards his brother, which only served to make his ability to control and balance his powers more difficult to achieve. As time went on and the Societies began to exert pressure and increase power in Korea, Jae-hwan and Hyeok-jae became more active once again. This was less of a "human war" as it was also directed at non-humans. Society occupation of Korea became a dangerous situation for himself and his brother as they sought to make use of their abilities and "claim" them for themselves. While they could have continued the fight and helped not only the humans that got caught up but also the non-humans that were relying on them for assistance, ultimately once again Jae-hwan made the decision for the both of them to leave Korea and abandon the fight. While Jae-hwan has maintained that he made the decision for Hyeok-jae's benefit and protection, he has always been doubtful of this excuse and is more than a little suspicious of Jae-hwan's true feelings.

Since departing Korea, Hyeok-jae has taken an even greater interest in humanity -- particularly their culture and their technology. His quick thinking and ability to adapt has made him a skilled hacker, a skill that he has at times been able to use to the advantage of himself and his brother.

Personality
Hyeok-jae has always had an almost childlike fascination with humanity and possessed a very outgoing and pleasant personality, oftentimes being described as "sunny". When he is able, he makes friends very easily and desires to make others happy, even at his own expense. Seeing the happiness of others is something he finds very heartening and inspiring and it is has been an effective tool (particularly when utilised by others willing to assist) in trying to help him gain better control of his abilities.

Despite his good intentions and protective nature, Hyeok-jae has over time grown increasingly distant in his relationship with Jae-hwan. Their ability to communicate with his brother has deteriorated, a situation which both find troubling. Though both of them would prefer to repair the damage, it is something far easier said than done.

Hyeok-jae often exists in extremes. He feels strongly and this is often reflected in his behaviour. When he is happy he can often display this loudly and vividly but if he is angered this can be quite a dangerous situation indeed. As his brother associates certain behaviours with his own nature, so does Hyeok-jae. Fire can be life-giving and warm if contained, but highly destructive and deadly if allowed to run out of control. Added to this is the fact that Hyeok-jae is not simply an aspect of fire but was born from a volcano, giving him earthen aspects as well. He can be stubborn to a point and when he angers he angers like the mountain -- a seething build before a powerful explosion.

Because of the instability of his power and the fact that when he really utilises them he tends to slip into a state where he might enjoy using them too much to be truly safe, he often worries and holds back. His fears and insecurities can cause him to panic in situations where he might be called upon to perform and on several occasions Jae-hwan has had to subdue and control him.

Hyeok-jae is very much someone who likes to keep up with what is current and popular. He is a great fan of Korean pop music as well as what he has heard of music from other countries. In particular he prides himself on his ability to learn and memorise the complex dance routines from his favourite songs.

Appearance
Hyeok-jae has several different forms that he assumes depending on the situation, his mood, or even simply because of an opportunity. In both Human and Hybrid states he may project a "ghost image" of his true form though as it is made of pure energy it is something only visible to those with sensitivity. The same is true of the aura he gives off which to a sensitive individual would make him seem even larger and more imposing than he really is. Typically, however, Hyeok-jae's reservations about his powers means he does not use these abilities or assume these forms as easily as his brother would.

His eyes are a shade of yellow-gold that at times brighten with an inner light. He looks young for his age -- by the standards of the human age he claims to be -- and his typical style of dress does nothing to make him look any older. Hyeok-jae appears quite youthful and would typically be mistaken for someone much younger than he ought to be according to his claimed human age. He does clean up quite well, but even in more formal attire his bright aura and youthful face almost cancel out the effect.

For those capable of making note of scent his is rather noticeable, though not in an unpleasant way. It seems almost to differ from individual to individuals in how it is perceived but in general it is a pleasing scent. Some might smell the scent of warm summer air while others might smell something like a wood fire.

Human Form
This is the form that Hyeok-jae occupies most often. In most cases he resembles a normal human male of Korean descent in his mid-twenties. He is of rather average height and beyond that his gold eyes and bright red-orange hair are typically his most noticeable features. When angered (or even simply because he wills it to be so) small changes that make him appear less human and more draconic take over. His teeth grow pointed (rather than their usual state where only his canine teeth are more prominent than most) and his nails lengthen into claws.

Hyeok-jae also bears markings on his skin that are concentrated on his back, shoulders, and upper arms. In most cases they are a faint red colour that look like light outlines of tattoos but when he calls on his power these markings will glow. The skin around the fiery glow of the markings will turn a shade of sooty grey, like stone, which makes the contrast of the glow even more significant..

Hybrid Form
In this form Hyeok-jae still remains mostly human. He retains the pointed teeth and claws and his markings glow brightly. However, his hair will grow quite somewhat longer and wilder and the aura of his power around him seems to influence it and the strands move as if he was floating in water. He also sprouts several horns that appear above his ears and slightly forward, rising up and curving backwards.

The horns are pointed and a shiny black in colour, though they are jagged and ridged as if made of rock. These glow like his markings, looking almost like lava might ooze through what seems like cracks in them at any time.

His eyes in this form go completely gold, the look of a human eye with iris, pupil, and sclera lost. They will also give off energy themselves, leaving wispy trails of energy whenever he moves.

Dragon Form
In this state he reverts to his true, natural form. He has the body make up of a Western-style dragon, long and reptilian with powerful arms and legs. He also has large, leathery wings. He possesses no hair or fur in this state but rather is covered head to tail in thick, armour-like scales. His colour is primarily shades of black and grey and he has an overall texture like dark, volcanic rock. Like his markings he seems to glow in places, though unlike his Hybrid form there is an actual likelihood of the appearance of lava. Despite this, his scales are only slightly warm to the touch unless he wills otherwise. His horns grow much longer and curve back like long spikes.

Abilities
First and foremost Hyeok-jae has his considerable strength, speed and agility, even despite his size in dragon form. This lends well to his fighting style. He prefers small bladed weapons and hand-to-hand combat.

Hyeok-jae is an Elemental creature rather than simply something that manipulates natural forces and so he is always capable of drawing on transformative magics as it relates to his ability to become fire in its various forms, even if he has exhausted all other energy. Anything from normal flames to lava and magma is possible, though for obvious reasons potentially dangerous. He is able to channel his energy in these forms (as well as any excess he generates as necessary) and utilise it as a powerful weapon or tool. His magic is most useful and suitable for destructive purposes and he has no healing ability whatsoever. Like his brother, he is prone to crossing the line between light and darkness at any time. However, this does not remain as a lasting corruption that poisons his power. Any corruption would simply burn away, at least physically or where his power directly is concerned. The more dangerous corruption is a corruption of the mind, which many fire Elementals are prone to. There is always the possibility that he will run so far out of control as to become a true force of destruction.

He heals much faster than a human though the speed of that depends largely on the state of his energy. If he is weakened too much or his reserves are low it hinders this ability and his wounds would take longer to heal. He is immune to quite a bit, seeing as his internal fire will burn away most toxins. He is, however, vulnerable to curses or other magical afflictions.

Relationships
Since coming to Hong Kong and being invited into Dean's group, he has gotten along well with the members of the group. He is particularly close to both Kasuga siblings, who have also offered to help him in his endeavour to one day become a full dragon as well as soothe the tensions between himself and Jae-hwan. In particular, Kasuga Nao's abilities and her strong but kind personality has been a great source of comfort and confidence.

Anna has also proved a valuable ally in this, though he is still learning more about her.

He has a friendly relationship with Suguru and Hisashi, the latter rather fond of the aura of warmth that surrounds him and oftentimes the nekomata can be found napping on or near the imugi. Though it is unspoken, Hyeok-jae has assumed something of a protective role as well, which is likely another reason Hisashi unconsciously feels quite comfortable in his presence.

He has most recently entered into a closer relationship with Kasuga Takaharu, ever since the rescue mission to recover Vigdis. While they keep their relationship quiet for the most part, it is likely that an observant party would be able to pick up on what they aren't showing off.

Hyeok-jae also has a habit of using Korean honourifics with others. While his true age makes him far older than anyone else in the group he still insists upon referring to the other males as "hyung" and the females as "noona". Occasionally he will use diminutive names, but this is typically rare (and if anything, it is most likely Takaharu would receive this).