Kaizen

Kaizen is a shadow of his sire.

In the shadows the base of his coat is an intense black, but beyond the bamboo and in the light of day it takes on a dark blue iridescent sheen. Like Corvidae feathers but less bright and colourful. Spoldged koi markings are layered across his form, the majority black with some intense reds borrowed from his Mother’s bloodline. The sheer amount of koi dapples and cleanness of their edges makes it undeniable that Kaizen is one hundred percent koi, with no other pedigree to ruin the look.

His figure is about what you’d expect from a dire wolf. Tall and muscular, imposing without even needing to make an effort. He’ll start off as one of the smaller, scrawnier pups of the litter, but will grow into his figure well before he reaches his first birthday-crushing any runt concerns beneath an eagle taloned paw. He moves with unspoken confidence in himself, but isn’t nearly as good as hiding his emotions as his parents are. His longer tail often flicks and swishes depending on his mood, try as he might to subdue himself it sometimes feels like the damn thing has a mind of its own.

With parents as hot as his, it’s simply given that Kaizen is handsome. His facial features aren’t quite as sharp as Hanzo’s, softer around the edges like Kiriko, with a charming floof to his cheeks. A quartet of dark horns crown his brow, and below that a demonic-esque crystal resembling an eye stares unblinkingly. In reality, he can't see through it, regardless of how intense it looks.

In short, he’s a big, handsome koi man.

Pragmatic and reasonable, Kaizen does not like to rock the boat. He enjoys normalcy and resents anything that ruins his ideal of the status quo. Though he doesn’t necessarily like or love his father in the same way he does his Mother, Kaizen respects him deeply and for the most apart agrees with the established order of things. If commanded, Kaizen will do as he’s told regardless of whether he truly wants to or not. After all, like any good Hattori, he values duty and loyalty above all else, but it does make him wonder just how much he is willing to sacrifice before enough is enough. How far can he be pushed before he snaps?

At ease around his pack mates and family, Kaizen is slow to warm up to strangers. Not because of an inherent mistrust or that he views them as lesser, it’s simply down to the fact he’s not entirely sure how to act around others. He can be a little stiff and awkward, overly formal and blunt in his manner of speaking. Whether it’s toxic masculinity at play or a bit of the tism, Kaizen struggles to convey how he feels and has a habit of distancing himself rather than doing the healthy thing and talking it out. At times, it irks him that others don’t just see things from his perspective, his frustrations aren’t always reasonable and that in itself just adds fuel to the fire. Calling him stubborn is putting it lightly, once he’s made his mind up he’ll be incredibly reluctant to change it. Even if he knows he’s wrong.

Beyond the resting bitch face, Kaizen is a very open wolf. What you see is what you get. He’s earnest in both his words and actions, taking pride in the fact he’s a man of his word and that you can rely on him, if no one else. Try as he might, he can’t quite entirely hide the sincere sense of vulnerability he carries. That he wants to be strong and aloof like his sire, but can’t simply because he feels so much.