Characterization Cheat Sheet: Shukaku Bayaraa
~Body Language and Physicality~
General: Self-assured and relaxed, almost lazy at times. Arms held loosely at his sides, fingers often twitching restlessly. Lots of grins (few of which are actually genuine or even remotely friendly) and laughter, Shukaku is a pretty happy individual until he isn't. Completely at ease in the spotlight even though he rarely seeks it out. Shu's resting expression is an unorthodox mix of a scowl and a smile. His walk is somewhere between a swagger and a predator stalking its prey; head held high, all fluid grace and easy confidence. Watch out, Shukaku will bite if even mildly inconvenienced, and he bites hard.
With friends: Not much different than normal. More genuine smiles instead of malicious grins. Maybe a little less likely to bite? Friends do get his undivided attention, though. Shukaku is incredibly loyal and affectionate with people who are "his", and he will always be there for them no matter what.
Flirting: No sense of personal space, leans in real close and uses his height to his advantage where applicable. Lots of teasing remarks and playful touches (things like tucking hair behind their ears or trailing a finger down their chest).
With an established romantic partner: Very tactile, he wants to be near them as much as possible. Holding hands, brushing legs, putting his head on their shoulder. Shukaku will take any excuse to be touching his partner. At all times, if possible. He loves to splay himself over his partner's lap and fall asleep. Like a giant cat (he even purrs like one).
In combat: Loud. Joyful. Erratic. Lots of laughter and taunting of his enemies. Shu's movements are unpredictable and twice as deadly for it. He jumps around the battlefield bringing loss of life and limb wherever he goes. He prefers to fight with his bare hands and claws (and teeth) but he'll also use two-handed weapons and swing them around one-handed like it's nothing.
~Dialogue/Speaking~
Voice: Mostly Ryomen Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen) with a dash of Solf J. Kimblee (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) mixed in for the raspy voice quality
General: Blunt. Doesn't give a damn who he's talking to, he will say what he's thinking. Foul-mouthed. His favorite word is fuck. Teasing. If he senses weakness he goes in for the kill. Not literally, in this particular case. Overly familiar with everyone. Does not care one iota about giving respect to authority figures. If Shukaku thinks that you're being a dumb, stubborn motherfucker, he is going to tell you. In those exact words. Lookin' at you, First Warden Jowin Glastrum.
With friends: Not really too much different than normal. Biggest thing is he tends to give silly nicknames to friends. But only if he knows it'll annoy them. Like calling Davrin "soldier boy".
Romance: His voice lowers and gains a tender pitch, making it a bit less abrasive than normal. A Shukaku talking to his love is overall softer and quieter. They're still not immune to being bitten if they really get on his nerves, though.
Humor: His sense of humor is pretty broad, to be honest. Shu obviously finds the suffering of his enemies hilarious, considering the fact that he laughs like a lunatic while gleefully disemboweling people. But he'll also laugh at Sovran's sleazy pickup lines, Leon's snarky quips, and Kamaria's dad jokes. So it's not just violence that he finds amusing.
Anger: Shukaku's speech patterns deteriorate more and more the angrier he gets. He will leave off the ends of words and/or slur his speech. Eventually he goes completely silent. That's when you know that you are well and truly fucked.
Cursing: Shukaku curses frequently and unashamedly in every language he knows (which is all of them)
Combat: He's shouting and cackling like a hyena, taunting his enemies into making fatal mistakes. In the very rare instance that he gets injured, he's silent about it. You may hear a grunt or a hiss, but nothing more than that. Shu will also call out warnings and encouragements to his allies if he thinks they're warranted.
