Luka Kanakaua (born late 1700s, unknown birth name) is a Fatebound kitsune, a K-pop star, a Baroness, and a Peer of the Domain of Brasswork Sorrows. She is primarily known to the public as one of seven members of rising band SINCRU-7, and since moving back to America, often appears in tabloids as a footnote feature. She is an avid surfer and swimmer, a marksman, and one of the wealthiest private citizens in King George City.
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To call Luka 'pretty' is an understatement. Her mixed heritage—white, Hawaiian and Korean—makes for an excellent foundation: gorgeous bone structure, high cheekbones and strong features. Her eyes are incredibly green. She is often seen to wear thick black eyeliner in an exotic sweep at her temples and along her nose—a design that only accentuates and mimics the black line of a fox's eyes, and her makeup ranges from subtler to vivid depending on the need.
She stands at an average height, often made less average by tall heels. Her skin is tanned, smooth and glows with good health and what some might call 'island living'. Her black hair is thick, often colored in various shades. The stain of color continues into her skin as tattoos just below her nape that crawl over both shoulders and over the entirety of both arms. It begins with a dragon, becomes lotus blossoms at her shoulders, and eases into other stunning designs that seem a mix of Asian cultures. Though it's not readily apparent, a scripted hiki nō! is tattooed on her left side, high up on her ribs.
Sometimes, white fox ears poke out from her hair at the top of her head. Sometimes they're gone, but she wears contacts that make her green eyes look like they're ringed with insanely thick black and made to look bigger than they really are. Sometimes she has jewelry that looks like claws, and other times it's a fur scarf that looks like fox fur (but isn't). The only constant is her eyeliner and the thick, overly fluffy bulk of the two fox tails that hang out from her waistband or her altered clothing. The fur is arctic white, with black and gray mottling—she's gone on record calling them 'antiques' left from her European grandmother, which explains why they're so soft.
Almost 300 years of history separates the Fae from the Fatebound she is today. As far as Luka is concerned, all that matters now is the kitsune that she is now, not the Fae or the human she was.
Fae[]
Among the Kami of Takamagahara, there was a young kitsune who preferred to investigate others' beds than remain attached to the paths she was meant to ward. Keala was never less than a troublemaker, a true Casanova whose love for beauty led her—and those whose appearances caught her roving eye—astray. If Inari had plans for this particular guardian spirit, Keala didn't linger long enough to earn her place among them.
Keala's forays eventually proved to be disastrous. She can't even remember which tryst caused what backlash, but in true Casanova fashion, she made good her escape with the help of a few satisfied companions before the trouble caught up with her. Abandoning her post and those who had come to like the wayward kitsune, Keala made her way to Earth—where, it was rumored, she'd have her pick of the prettiest and adventure forever.
Mortal[]
The truth of the mortal who became Luka has been lost to the centuries. What's known is that she was a mixed child of multiple cultures—a rarer breed in Hawaii at those times, but not unheard of. Her life was no doubt difficult, and likely fraught with the bigotry inherent in closed communities. She was a talented creation of the islands, and she must have had some innate potential for beauty; that much is clear by the very nature of the kitsune who came to her. Like speaks to like, and it may have seemed like the gods themselves offered the girl their blessings in the form of a pointy-faced fox with a single tail.
Fatebound[]
The years passed by and the kitsune Fatebound took on the name Luka Kanakaua. For centuries, she lived and operated out of Hawaii. She was there when King Kamehame II abolished kapu and ended the worship of the old ways. She was there when the Western world flooded the islands, watched as the Monarchistic nobles took on the 'civilized' ways of the West, even as the commoners clung to the traditional values. Through the mass influx of other cultures, the Civil War that didn't touch the islands but shaped their politics, and all the way through the World Wars, Luka remained a staunch islander—her love for Hawaii transcends all cultures, borders, and demands.
And if her presence—sometimes open and other times merely a urban legend—contributed to rumors of a mysterious witch in Waikiki, that's just Hawaiian gods for you. And Luka herself is relatively closemouthed about this time. Only a few know her history as it is.
Civil War[]
As the nation broke along North and South, Hawaii watched the unfolding war with concern. Luka was sent along with a delegate’s entourage to Florida, to meet with representatives from each court in order to better get a feel for the situation. This is where she met Torian for the first time.
Their delegates were assassinated, and although all signs pointed to Northern insurgency, Torian and Luka weren’t so sure it was as easy as that seemed. Their investigations took them from the sweltering ballrooms of the genteel South to the wetlands, and eventually put them on the trail of hunters hoping to take advantage of the war for their own purposes. In the end, while the greater plot was foiled, Luka returned to her islands convinced mainlanders had serious issues.
World War II[]
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Among the casualties, Kimo Mahelona—her great-great grandson and the last of her line—died on the USS Arizona.
Faced with the end of her line, the loss of her family, and uncertain how to handle the emotions this caused, Luka threw everything she had into the defense of the islands she loved. Despite the mainland's growing distrust of its Japanese-American citizens, Hawaii—still an independent nation—had no shortage of young Hawaiians who enlisted to get revenge on the Japanese.
When they set to sea, Luka used Fae tricks to join them, keeping herself more or less hidden and disguised so that she could operate as a kind of guardian spirit. They had no idea of her existence until the ship was attacked at sea in Pacific waters, and fifty of the islander boys were taken prisoner.
The Rescue[]
In the small village outside the concentration camp where the Imperial forces kept prisoners of war, Luka met Chiaru and a gruff, imposing Redcap named Gou. Without benefit of the language, Luka had hoped to find a way to free her people, but was caught by both Fatebound before she could get far. To her surprise, they offered to help her free the prisoners, and smuggled her into the camp.
Once inside, Luka found her islanders and roughly 150 Allied Forces prisoners of war. What followed was a prison break that pitted the Black Bull against the Imperial forces she had no love for, sent Gou the Redcap on a distraction run that caused untold amounts of destruction, and allowed Luka—with the help of a Fae-touched named Yasushi—to steal a military cruiser that could carry all of the prisoners to China.
When they learned that a barrier had been created that would force the Kami of Japan to remain locked within Japanese waters, Luka sent the Allied prisoners and her people on without her, pledging to return home soon. She'd find a way over the barrier, and would stay with Chiaru until then. After all, she owed the Revenant an enormous debt—the lives of two hundred men.
To this end, she accompanied Chiaru back to Tokyo, hoping to find a way to pay off some of what she owed. As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long.
The Red Flame[]
Chiaru's age-old enemy, the Blue Ghost, was rumored to have been planning something, and only one woman—the head of a 'comfort woman' facility for Japanese soldiers—was likely to have been in contact with him. Akari-tama was Seelie, however, which limited Chiaru's ability to interfere. So with the help of a Seelie Briar Prince named Toge, Luka infiltrated the facility. Toge kept the dangerous Kami madame occupied, and Luka was able to search her office for communications while under the guise of a new acquisition for the madame's stable.
She found evidence, all right, but she couldn't read Japanese. In a hurry, she shoved everything into an aetherial pocket, but was caught by Akari-tama's guard. The last she recalled, she made a dash for the door in fox form. SHe was unprepared for the lightning attack that dropped her.
Luka woke up stripped of her hoshi no tama, which locked her in her natural fox form. Though she could still talk, she had no access to any of her magics. A fact that proved deadly when she had no way to escape her tiny, cramped cage. It became clear that her kidnappers had mistaken her for someone named Kinumi—who was tied to another Seelie warrior named Kojiro.
Though Luka could have cleared up the misunderstanding, she kept her mouth shut when she realized that among the strangers hanging from the cavern ceiling, one was Chiaru's daughter. Hoping she would have a chance to help Ayumi, Luka attempted to chew through her bonds, but she was caught and overpowered.
So it was that Luka Kanakaua of the Hawaiian islands witnessed the Blue Ghost's Ritual of Blood. It meant that she, like the others, was bled nearly to death. Her blood mingled with the rest into a giant basin, ritualists incanted, and the Blue Ghost sank into the grisly depths of the crimson pool. When he came out, he came out different—Darkened, grotesque, with a red fire where his blue lantern head had been. The Blue Ghost had become the Red Flame. And as he murdered every other sacrifice, intoning horrific statements of life and death and power, Luka's deeply rooted hatred of the Blood Court was born.
She barely managed to escape her bonds, chewing through most and then swinging on them so hard that the last threads snapped. It allowed her to land on Ayumi, whose bonds Luka had only half managed to chew through earlier. Both fell out of the Red Flame's grasp just as Chiaru and Toge tore through the cavern in a bid to save them all.
That night, shortly after the rise of the Red Flame, Luka and Ayumi barely survived the ritual that left them both scarred in various ways. Toge was nearly killed saving Luka, scarring his face and half his head. But for those efforts, Chiaru was reunited with her daughter.
For a little while after, lost without her home and and family, Luka fell in with Toge. Their relationships was tempestuous, often a whiplash mix of fire and dedication and no small amount of claws, but there was real affection there, too. When Luka finally was able to leave Japan, she didn't see or speak to Toge again for almost eight decades.
King George City[]
It wasn't until relatively recently that Luka stepped back into the open. Now, as effortlessly part of this modern world as anyone born to it, she rolls with six other people in a K-pop inspired band called SINCRU-7. How she possibly went from urban legend to pop/rock star is anyone's guess, but the members of the band are as staunchly protective of her as she is of them. They're working on coming to America, where the pop/rock genre fusion is more widely appreciated. Since her friends Chiaru and Torian have coincidentally set up shop in King George City, Luka saw it as a likely place to set up her own base of operations—it's not the islands, but it's close enough for a quick ride. And she owes the two a little something.
Her goals remain relatively unclear, but she's proven to be sharp in a fight, murder on the social scene, and a little wild out in the public eye. Torian made her a Baroness of the International District, flanked by the Boiler to the north and Unseelie on either side, and she has held a Peer position for two Paladins. Some say her loyalties are constantly in question.
The Red Flame Returns[]
The very same day that Luka was named a Peer of the Seelie Court, a Frost Court enforcer texted Chiaru for help. The Blackguard mobilized a posse and she, Luka, Zephyr, Shazak and Dean all hurried into the sewers to provide aid.
The fight they found was more carnage than conflict. Dante's group was all but slaughtered, and he and one companion were falling fast. The reinforcements were able to take down the leaders of the Blood Court incursion—including one ancient Revenant with ties to the Red Flame—but not before Zephyr and Shazak fell. Dante was able to save Zephyr, even as badly injured as he was, but Shazak died while he did so.
The Red Flame had slowly been kidnapping and bleeding citizens of KGC, looking to repeat his ritual. While he did, he gathered allies and managed to complete a ritual to waken Fenris—a Darkened entity whose enmity with the more typical Jormungundr ensured war loomed on the horizon. Taking advantage of the chaos his new Darkening created, the Red Flame was able to launch wars on several fronts—against Urusalim, against Chiaru in specific, and a subtle motive that allowed him to harvest humans.
Decades old nightmares afflicted Luka. They only got worse with time.
Chiaru took a small party down into the subterranean tunnels below Chinatown. There, they found a Blood Court Dokkalfar hospital set up for who knows how long, with roots so deep that it ran into the Labyrinth. Inside, a "doctor" had been kidnapping and draining the blood from victims whose blood type was B-; the same blood type as Luka and Ayumi.
The foray into the Dokkalfar compound was a grisly, grotesque affair, and though all of them walked out (or were helped out), the visuals stuck with the kitsune. Her nightmares increased, taking on a rich tapestry too close to reality for her to tolerate with the same gritted-teeth smile she'd employed until then. The real trouble came when she woke up screaming, splattered with blood in all the places that she had been wounded in the Red Flame's ritual baptism in 1942. Though she had no wounds to account for it, the whole thing proved too much for her to simply deal with.
The day came when the Flame's new ritual ripened, and the stakes were high: the Red Flame had kidnapped Chiaru's love, both to use in his ritual and attain another victory over his age-old enemy and because of their ties to his previous ritual, Luka and Ayumi both would turn Fenrir if the Flame succeeded. The Flame was ultimately driven away, his ritual disrupted and Chiaru's lover, Yoshiro, was rescued, but the Flame would be back.
Armed with a compass that could magically direct Chiaru and her allies to the Flame's location, Luka prepared to make good on promises decades old. She never thought it would lead up to the worst night of her life. Though the Red Flame was stopped, killed at his own desecrated shrine, Zephyr very nearly died on the same filthy ground. Worse, Chiaru collapsed quickly after.
Having achieved her ultimate vengeance—assisted by Luka, Zephyr, Alastar Connell, and Monte Chaplinn—Chiaru's Fae soul ultimately chose to let go of the mortal coil she'd clung to for so long. Within an hour of returning to the Waypoint, surrounded by her friends and visited by Ayumi, the Revenant died for the last time.
The Red Flame was dead. Luka's best friend in the whole world was gone. Zephyr's near-death experience and the subsequent fall out from all of it proved almost too much for the kitsune to handle.
Though she would eventually come to terms with it all, it took Luka a long time to sort through everything that happened that night and the week after, and even longer to work through the stages of her grief.
Fenrir: Hungry Like the Wolf[]
Ahzee fell first to the Fenrir taint unleashed by the Red Flame. Then it spread to Tex. Tex's heart was removed to keep the taint from infecting others, but the young sorcerer fell in love with Balthazar and asked for his heart back to pursue it. As this was part of the original deal, the sorcerers had no choice but to return it. The taint spread quickly to others.
The Fenrir Darkened (the wolf-touched) and the Jormungundr Darkened (the serpent-touched) are enemies on sight, and often try to kill each other. Luka was caught in a fray between Ahzee and Dean, of the wolf-touched, and Chiaru and Judas, of the serpent-touched, smack in the middle of the Waypoint. Tensions already ran high due to the nature of the touched and their behaviors, but when Zephyr nearly killed Ahzee in defense, tempers erupted. In the end, the Fenrir were banished from the Waypoint and from any meetings where monarchs would be present.
Then came the boiling point. Felice Donovan, whose sympathies for the Fenrir were well known, fell to the taint, and the numbers provided them a strength they hadn't had before. They banded as a pack, and as a pack, felt the urge to hunt. Ahzee, Tex Lunar, Tempest, Dean, Donovan, and Louie all attempted to lead Monte into a trap and kill him. It was pure luck, and Luka's insistence that she knows best for everyone, that allowed her to intercept Monte before his "meeting with Torian". Lured by the trap, a crew of Fatebound all tracked the Fenrir to the forest where Donovan lived.
They surrendered once they saw the force, but the damage was done. One of them called in allies, more were caught lying when asked what they'd intended to do. Those gathered, including Luka, lost faith in their willingness to do what was necessary to protect not just the Domain, but the world. With mixed feelings, Luka watched them get onto a ship and set sail for Mag Mell in search of a cure. She was not convinced they'd return at all, but if they did, hard decisions will have to be made.
Decisions that came all too soon. The Fenrir returned to the city, and a force of Seelie and Unseelie gathered to greet them. Told by King Torian to quarantine over eradicate, if at all possible, Luka covered Monte as he attempted to get them to stand down. Felice Donovan was separated from the group, to much anger. Zephyr, utilizing a Tale of Fury knack, tamped everyone's emotions to nothing, and it may be the only thing that saved the Fenrirs' lives that night.
Ahzee and her motley pack were shipped to a farmhouse Luka acquired for them, while Donovan was taken by the Blackguard and two Unseelie. Balthazar was not among them, or at least not readily apparent. Though Alastar asked Zephyr and Luka to help him with Donovan, they had no choice but to decline—Torian had made it clear Donovan was Unseelie business. An order the kitsune may come to regret.
Unfortunately, Luka was still grieving the loss of her best friend, and reacted poorly when Tempest started to cry at news of Chiaru's death. There is no sense to it, nor any real logic, but her fury at the girl threatened in that moment to undo all the good and planning and orders that Luka and her allies had put into effect. Faced with the knowledge that Tempest Cambell, a Triamond, carried a piece of Chiaru's soul, Luka pleaded with Zephyr to get her out of town before she did something reckless—thereby opening herself up to the Fenrir taint. Zephyr obliged, and they spent the week in Italy, as far away from the Fenrir, Tempest, and the problems of the city as feasibly possible.
But they wait for the kitsune's return. She can't run forever.
Dokkalfar: Blood for the Blood Gods[]
Luka's relationship with the Blood Court began with the Red Flame, and has only gotten more complicated with time. She joined Resh Khamere and his party on a venture deep into the Labyrinth in hopes to keep the Blood Court Queen off the city's back. The sorcerer, being the Queen of the Jeweled City's son, couldn't very well turn down Ishtar's invite. Luka was chosen to attend because for all her wild nature, she's responsible and reasonable—and doesn't much care for the Blood Court that Ishtar reigns. Why Luka agreed to go is anyone's guess.
The journey took ages, and the things found in Urusalim unsettled the kitsune. She learned that she is intrinsically "respected" by the Blood Court because of her role in creating the Red Flame's rise. She learned that the Hell Divers that were Zephyr's friends and family attacked Ishtar's people at the same time that the Red Flame's Blood Court attacked, and were summarily executed and put on display for all to see. She learned that Zephyr is as revered as she and Chiaru are, that Resh is—when it really comes down to it—a son with a little growing up to do, and that a sword waited in Ishtar's kingdom for Chiaru to claim.
And that her mistrust and dislike of the Blood Court as a whole was not unwarranted. So she stole a weapon from them—Zephyr's, by rights, as it belonged to his many-times great grandfather. It seemed the right thing to do at the time, and the hooded Dokkalfar who had shown them around seemed to agree. He gave Zephyr the bullets that went with it, though no one could understand why he let them go.
Luka walked out of the Labyrinth shaken, and rather more pissed off than usual for the kitsune. So much so that she promised to help Zephyr, Monte, Alastar, and Chiaru clean the rest of the Blood Court out of Chinatown.
When preparing to assault the Red Flame and his armies, Resh and his father made a second journey to Urusalim. Chiaru, Zephyr and Luka accompanied them as escorts unlikely to be harried by the Blood Court. The journey, though complicated by void creatures Luka had never seen, proved a success—Resh cemented help from his mother, who promised to send troops after conditions were met.
The red-robed Dokkalfar who had helped them prior showed up to assist, and that's when Luka finally realized that though he'd changed, it was Toge. The Flame's ritual had scarred him in different ways, as when he was wounded rescuing her, Luka's blood and his mingled. When he finally fell to the Dark, the constraints left in his soul forced him Blood Court. Luka's lingering affections for him couldn't reconcile the change, or her role in it. She still hasn't come to terms with what it means. And why.
Artemis: The Warlady[]
The first Luka ever heard of Artemis, it involved Paladin Tempest and Herald Adara. The data the kitsune collected on the matter started to show holes—so much so that Luka showed it to Torian. A little prodding revealed a great big plot with some massive liabilities.
In Deimos Oneiroi, a woman named Artemis had gathered armies to her banner and hoped to set herself up as warlord. This by itself was not a problem—nations rule themselves, after all—but it came to light that Shazak, then majordomo of the Unseelie, had made deals with Artemis that allowed her to move against allies of KGC freely, intended or otherwise. After Shazak died, Tempest continued to pursue the Artemis situation, but her reasoning lacked consistency from person to person. The information making its way into Torian's hands was only partial at best.
After Monte's rise to Paladinship, Torian made clear all deals were to be dissolved with the Warlady. When Adara returned from the latest excursion, it was revealed that another deal had been made after all with one of Artemis' associates. Furious, Torian banned all Seelie from Deimos Oneiroi, barring specific permissions granted by the Paladin and the King combined. Luka couldn't find any more information about Artemis other than that she was a warlord looking to spread, and seemed to be "dangerous" although no one could explain exactly how. Rumors that she was a contender for the Tower proved to be mere gossip and speculation, and so her threat was considered to be low. It seemed that well-meaning folk of the Domain wanted to interfere with others nations' rule.
However, when Luka accompanied the usual Blood Court hunting crew to Deimos Oneiroi—with the King's permission—they discovered that the Domain's allies had been all rolled under Artemis' advance, and no one had actually informed the King of this—if they even knew. With their allies in the Black Forest and Mobius now in jeopardy, some thought is being given to diplomatic efforts with our allies directly.
'Ekur-zakir: Mighty and Powerful God[]
Luka doesn't know where Ekur-zakir came from, or what, even, he really wants. All she knows is that he's a many thousands of years old Nephilim with a mad desire to rebuild the Tower. Already in possession of most of the pieces of the Acorn that can help him achieve this, he needs the last piece—which is held by the Canons.
Fiercely proud and extremely bigoted, Ekur-zakir's pride is matched only by his power. Once he decided that he was done waiting for what he saw as his, he began to assault King George City—first with warnings, and then with a small army of cabbies he brought under his sway. He killed the Dokkalfar chasing Linnea Ban-Fajir, a new Nephilim to the city, which happened to include some who had murdered Zephyr's family.
When the Nephilim attempted to deal with Judas, as Majordomo of the Unseelie court, she swore at him. In response, he unleashed hell—a series of guerilla-style attacks that left a Shinto shrine in Chinatown burning, Pealr Spectrum's Goldenwood Heights home in tatters, Luka shot point blank by one of his cabbie zealots, and Pearl caught in a trap that almost ended her life. "Ekur-zakir says hi," is what the cabbie said before pulling the trigger on a heavy revolver aimed at Luka's heart.
His aim was off, but it almost didn't matter. That day, Luka nearly died. Fortunately, Zehphyr was there to shoot the cabbie before the man could kill anyone else, and then stabilize her enough that he could get her back to the Crossroads. Although they survived the chaos, Zephyr's worst fears coalesced in that moment between the thunder of the gun and the spray of Luka's blood.
Ekur-zakir gave the Fatebound of the city two weeks to give him the Acorn, or else he would return and raze it all to the ground; sift through the ashes to find what he wanted. As that deadline looms, Luka braces for the worst.
Politics[]
Whether past or present, Luka's political associations have always been murky. Though no doubt Seelie in outlook, she maintains strong connections to Unseelie and Seelie alike, maintains relationships with Dokkalfar, and appears to treat nobles and commoners in much the same way—which is to say, with great irreverence.
Nevertheless, that irreverence allows her to open her mouth when others may err on the side of caution. While this sometimes gets her in trouble, it did lead to her being named as Baroness by the King and as Peer by two Paladins.
It's no secret that Luka maintains rocky relations with Adara, the Seelie Herald, and some say she sabotaged Tempest, who was Paladin until Torian stripped her of her position. Luka, for all her interest in gossip as a whole, doesn't much talk about her personal opinions on either woman. She maintains her Peer position and seems to get along with Monte Chaplinn—probably thanks in no small part to his easygoing nature. When Torian named her a Baroness, she promptly claimed the land she wanted, even though it was contested at the time. Miracle of miracles, the Unseelie allowed this to happen. Whatever her politics are, there is always some speculation as to how and why she achieves what she does.
Some say she is rude, crass, and utterly without honor. Some say she only gets her way because she sleeps with those who can give her what she wants. Others seem to appreciate her insights. Whatever the truth of it is, she walks a razor's line. Jumped up commoners tend to do that.
'Til the Love Runs Out[]
Luka Kanakaua has been linked with various people in the entertainment industry, but one can never tell what's real and what's fake when it comes to gossip. On the Fae side, rumors abound regarding her proclivities. She is open enough about her flirting where anyone can see, and certainly she's been nothing but swag from day one, but the mask isn't always the same as the truth.
Gossip has indicated that she's "enjoyed the company" of King Torian, Dante, Queen Saya, the once King Pierre, Toge, Judas, Kaendor{/span>, Pearl, Resh, and perhaps most incendiary of them all, Zephyr. Some very public scenes have been had regarding others taking the kitsune to task for 'preying' on the young raiju. Then again, some very public scenes have suggested that wasn't all wrong. And however much of this is slander and how much is truth, Luka never really says in any definitive way. In fact, her answers tend to lack continuity entirely.
What is definitely hard to twist is that Luka has been spending a lot of her time with Zephyr. Having been caught on camera by a leading celebrity gossip rag, it's pretty safe to say that there's at least something happening there. Of anyone, only one is likely to know for sure—and Zephyr probably has his own thoughts on the subject. Given he moved out of his Crossroad room and into a sidhe with her, those thoughts could be serious.
Whether this development crimps her usual style or not remains to be seen. However things are never as easy or smooth as they seem. Zephyr must have the patience of a saint.
Bloodlines[]
Makana (1830 - 1870)[]
In 1842, Luka saved a fisherman and his son from one of the deep sea Dokkalfar that occasionally surface to hunt Hawaii's shores. The weathered fisherman showed his gratitude to the witch he considered her to be by sharing a portion of his catch. It's only polite, after all, and the Hawaiian Fae folk are said to be helpful when pleased.
The fisherman's twelve year old son, not to be outdone, declared his eternal love. As a symbol of it, he swore to build for her the greatest house the islands have ever seen.
Makana was an adventurous, dedicated child, and over the years, grew into a strong, hard-working man. He never gave up pursuing the beautiful kitsune, no matter how many times she turned him down—or how many seasons she vanished from his sight. With patience and unwavering perseverance, he took every opportunity to ask her again and again to be his wife.
To everyone's surprise, Luka's resistance eventually wore away. Makana wasn't a handsome man. He was large and sturdy, with round features and a wide build that hid the bullish strength he was capable of. His black eyes sparkled with the inherent goodness of his heart, and his laugh could often be heard ringing out across the village. The day they pledged, a quiet affair, it rained despite the sunshine streaming down. The Japanese call those times a fox's wedding.
But happily ever afters are difficult to achieve when one is virtually immortal. As more and more immigrants and travelers visited the islands, more diseases followed. At the age of 34, Makana contracted leprosy—a flesh-eating disease that came with an influx of Chinese immigrants. Two years later, King Kamehameha the Great approved "An Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy"—ordering that all lepers were to be shipped to Kalawao on the Kalaupapa Peninsula. Manaka forced Luka to swear she wouldn't visit.
It was illegal to even try. The settlement was virtually abandoned by Hawaii, with supplies floated across the water to them. The territory was exposed and difficult to live in, and many lepers, ravaged by the disease, couldn't survive the ordeal. Four years after the Act was approved, at the age of 40, Manaka eventually died.
Kahale (1854 - 1921)[]
Luka had trouble conceiving, though no trouble at all trying. When she finally bore Makana a child, it was a long and difficult labor. He named his son Kahale—it means 'house', and symbolized everything he'd wanted to give her. It was the only child she was ever able to give him. Through some trick of the line, Luka was never able to conceive a Fae-blooded child of any particular strength.
Kahale was a product of his mixed heritage, although this was more acceptable in Hawaii at this time than it was when Luka first arrived. He was like his father in temperament and his mother in love of the islands they lived in. He remembered what it was to watch his father be shipped away and forever lost, and so he kept family close. He even fulfilled his father's promise in a less symbolic way—he built with his own two hands a home to raise his family in, and provide a place for Luka to seek comfort, if she ever wanted it.
The men of her line have often been more sensitive to the unspoken than most. Perhaps it came from dealing with Luka herself.
Kahale married Melia, an island girl who was every bit the domesticated woman Luka was not. Once he married, settling into life as a husband and eventual father, Luka departed the domestic scene to tend to the Fae world with greater attention.
Her son had grown up.
Kahale eventually died at the age of 67, well-lived and of natural causes.
Makani Kamaka (1881 - 1915)[]
For some reason never explained, Luka's line only seemed able to conceive one child. None were strong enough to be Fae-blooded, though some tended to pick up fragments of her heritage now and again. Occasionally, green eyes cropped up, or a penchant for mischief that didn't stem from the more serious of the line.
Makani, son of Kahale and Luka's grandson, was this way. His birth nearly killed Melia, and weakened her forever after, but his parents loved him deeply. Luka returned now and again to see her grandchild, but she stayed away for great lengths of time and allowed him a life unburdened by Fae concerns.
She attended his wedding to Hina, a Japanese-descended woman, and ensured she could do what she could for them, but she didn't linger. She felt it was better that way.
When the Great War broke out, Makani enlisted—for the sake of his islands, for the sake of doing his part for the world he lived in. For many reasons. Though Luka wanted to talk him out of it, Kahale kept her from trying. He understood waht Luka, with the protective inctincts of a mother, didn't want to: Makani had to follow the path his heart demanded.
That path saw him killed in action, during one of the most horrific battles the Great War saw. He died at 34; one soldier among thousands.
Hina followed shortly after, simply fading without him. It seemed as though Luka's line attracted only the most devoted—a blessing and a curse.
Mahina Kamaka (1899 - 1967)[]
Luka returned to Kahale's home to help him raise his granddaughter. While she might have left him to raise a grandson, he couldn't be trusted enough with a girl.
It was an idyllic enough scene, but Luka often worried about the effect her presence would have on the lives of her family and those around them. At the time, it was easier to hide her tails under the skirts and dresses women wore, so she was able to be part of their lives, but always worried.
When Mahina married a tough, Japanese-Haiwaiian fisherman named Keao Mahelona, Luka took her leave again. Keao was a good man, but tended towards machismo and a dominant attitude that ruffled Luka's tails in all the wrong ways. Yet Mahina loved him, and he treated her like a queen.
Of all of Luka's line, only Mahina gave birth with ease.
She and Keao died within months of each other, both of age and natural causes. She was 68.
Kimo Mahelona (1924 - 1941)[]
Of every child spawned of her line, Kimo was the most like Luka—handsome with his mixed heritage, strong-willed, gifted in music and dedicated to the islands. They had always shared a great love of music, had even played together when he was younger, but Luka's continued absences proved too much a gap between them.
When news of the new war broke, Kimo resolved to fight. Nothing Luka said or did could dissuade him, and she tried. Regardless of Mahina's upset, or Luka's efforts, he put the threat above his family, lied about his age and enlisted.
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor a year later. The USS Arizona was hit by the final bomb. Its forward magazine caught fire, and exploded, killing 1,177 servicemen aboard.
Kimo was one. He was 17.
That was the end of her line. Mahina was too old for another child, not for lack of trying. When Mahina passed in 1967, Luka was the only family left to stand for her.
She never tried again.
- Music Industry: Being part of a decently successful pop/rock fusion band has given Luka a certain amount of cred on the music scene. While she may not be able to bend the curve, she rides trends easily and has her ear to a lot of the industry gossip—business and otherwise.
- Hawaii: Born and raised (if not bred, as she likes to joke) on the islands means she's got the ins no haole can—she knows the walk, the talk, the way of life. She knows all the best surf spots, who's got the best shaved ice during what parts of the day, and yes, everyone really does know her. And she knows everyone. Because that's how it is when you can say brah unironically and nobody tells you to shut up.
- Seelie: A shared history with King George City's Seelie King, Torian, means she gets a certain amount of leeway—especially for a commoner. Luka's not shy about taking advantage of this, but while some nobles may consider her beyond vulgar, she seems to stop just shy of blatant disrespect. In fact, she's a fierce advocate for Torian's reign, and speaks passionately for him.
- Unseelie: While Chiaru was alive, rumor painted Luka unfavorably close to the Unseelie Blackguard, and either Luka's detractors or Chiaru's might have used this against them—certainly it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to assume that either was spilling court secrets to the other, or letting too much influence color them. Not that Luka seemed to care. Now that two of hr staunches Unseelie allies are dead, will she still have the same reach?
- Frost Court: Luka has been seen in the company of Dante and his posse of surf-loving Dokkalfar now and again for some night surfing in the bay. She appears to be on excellent terms with most of them, although it's uncertain whether this means she's connected or just friendly.
- Yakuza: Luka believes strongly in 'family', which is why she remained so close with Chiaru—the Revenant and her kin had become a kind of surrogate family. It just so happened that her 'kin' included a Yakuza gang. Because most are familiar with Luka's K-pop career, and because they were super excited that Chiaru got Luka to hang out at their base of operations, Luka's connections with the Chinatown Yakuza deepened naturally. When their matriarch died, it was only natural that Luka take care of them the way Chiaru had. They, like her, have no one else.
People[]
- Torian: While it might seem strange for a King to be friends with a commoner—and a kitsune commoner, at that—there's no doubt that Luka and Torian share a bond that leaves room for sushi and drinks. They are sometimes seen to dine out together, and when they do, it's invariably filled with laughter, 'no shit, there I was' stories, and nostalgia. Luka's obvious affections for him could leave a lot of room for gossip—not that this stops her.
- Zephyr: The kitsune and the gorgeous raiju appear to be inseparable. While their friendship was immediate, and they wasted no time in hanging out as friends do, it didn't seem to take long for that friendship to turn into something far more...physical. Which netted the kitsune a varied amount of trouble from a varied amount of people; some more openly scathing than others. Luka has gotten into more than one public scene about her interest or intentions in the young raiju, and some gossip has her labeled a cradle-robber. To which Luka tends to make overtly sexual references. She's so mature. Especially when he moved in with her some four months later; a thing she doesn't widely advertise.
- Resh Khamere: More pretty. And even better, the kind of pretty she can live with—although maybe temporarily. As the Man of Letters to Luka's Hunter—the Sam to her more playboy Dean—he catches most of the pop culture references she throws around, and they banter like old friends. She moved in with the Nephilim recently, amidst jokes about harems that she does nothing to dispel. Of course, amid all the light-hearted cooperation (bipartisan living arrangements, anyone?), he's become something more like a friend—one that she can freely mock when he loses his mind on occasion.
- Pearl Spectrum: So much pretty up in here. Luka's interest in Pearl is definitely friendly. Up until recently, she's spent time every week with the Enchanted Maiden and seems to genuinely like her. At the very least, she's readily affectionate. This may be somewhat problematic, what with Luka living with Pearl's obvious romantic interest, but the kitsune doesn't seem to let this slow her down. Nor does she let it keep her from checking Pearl out now and again. Because pretty.
- Talise Cambell: With the Duchess gone so much due to business, Luka and Tally don't seem to hang out very much. Even so, they exchange friendly emails often and have made ready dates to paddle board when things are less crazy.
- Kaendor: The Britomart Dragon has found in Luka something of a mentor, while Luka has found in Kaendor an endless supply of "I like swords" jokes. The two talk a lot, and have even started training together—which is frankly hilarious, when you think about how one's a fox and one's a mothereffin' dragon.
- Alastar Connell: This one's hard to tell. They are often at each other's throats, and neither seems to listen to the other, and then there's that whole thing where Luka possibly flustered his girlfriend by prowling her. Repeatedly. But there's no real blood drawn in these spats, just a lot of mockery across the board. Is it just how they say hello?
- Dante: The Frost Court enforcer is definitely handsome, in that terribly twisted Briar Prince way, but what seems to really rock Luka's world is the surfing—she's become a fairly regular attendee to Dante's surfing nights, and enjoys the hell out of herself there. She's apparently become friends with the Dokkalfar—and because it's Luka, it's only a matter of time before rumors start flying.
- Toge: Dante's "brother", and a face from her past. It's no secret that Toge and Luka had a thing ages ago, nor is it much of a secret that Toge apparently still carries a torch—the kind that even Darkness can't quell. Things are always complicated when the heart gets involved. Luka's no different.
- Monte Chaplinn: The Briar Prince just needed a wingman for a while, and Luka served admirably. Afterwards, they seem to have become friends. Luka supports him as Paladin, and generally trusts him in the front of a fight. As long as she's far enough away that his single-minded focus doesn't get her shot. He tends to have a laid back attitude that complements Luka's sometimes more manic demeanor, which means both get to say what they want and neither seems to take it personally. A win for a Paladin/Peer combo.
- Adara Knightly: Things appear super antagonistic between them. Mostly. No doubt anyone watching suffers some whiplash as Luka can be very aggressive in court meetings to the satyr, and then chat with her other places as if it never happened. Though the kitsune hasn't overtly committed to feeling one way or another about Adara, odds seem to fall in favor of some bad blood there. But do either know what and why?
- Tonka: Is it her nature to be so snide to the ugly ones? Anyone watching could assume so. These two have a lassez-faire kind of adversarial thing going on, which might be smoke. The question is: is it a smokescreen or the sign of a lit fuse?
Deceased[]
- Chiaru: People who claim the Unseelie don't know honor never met the Revenant Luka called 'Chi-chan'. Even her enemies knew that she had more honor than most—and that included the Seelie. Luka and Chiaru were something of an Odd Couple, but it was clear that their ties went back a long, long time. Although Luka is happy that her old friend finally found peace, Chiaru's death hit Luka harder than maybe some might have assumed the carefree kitsune would suffer.
- Judas: However Luka felt about dogs in general, Judas overcame enough of it that the two were often gossiped about as some kind of odd balance. Needless to say, the barghest certainly shaped Luka's first months in this city, and whatever else, the kitsune will miss the banter they shared. And when she learns the truth behind Judas' death, if she ever does, she may not even have it in her to be anything more than exhausted.
Courts[]
Seelie/Unseelie[]
The Fae and Fatebound courts as they are factor into Luka's lifestyle only inasmuch as they exist—she sees them as extensions of the people who fill them, ideologies of likeminded types. With friends across the divide, she doesn't initially judge based on court. At least, not where the Fatebound are concerned.
Frost Court[]
Generally, Luka's experiences with the Frost Court are civil at the least—and yes, flirtatious at the best. Never let it be said she doesn't recognize a pretty face, even when it's carved by darkness. Still, she's got no real problems with the Frost Court—they are what they are, and she's not usually so careless as to wander into their turf without some kind of contingency.
That said, rumor has it she's meeting up with Dante and his crew to go surfing. Is it the undeniable attraction of the dokkalfar officer? Or is it the surfing? It really could go either way, here.
Blood Court[]
No way, no how. As it turns out, Luka can be hardheaded—and the Blood Court are one of those things she's likely to be. General Blood Court are vicious, nasty, killing machines. She won't trust one at her back, she won't trust one at her side, and she may be okay with one in front of her, but she'd have to have a weapon trained on it first. It's a highly refined prejudice—one that may or may not get her in trouble. Especially now that Toge has come back into her life.
The Kami[]
Much like the Seelie and Unseelie of Western Fatebound, Luka doesn't spare much thought for either side in the Kami. Though her roots are there, she didn't stay long enough to really saturate in their ways—they're as foreign to her as she is to Americans. Technically part, but also not.
Principles[]
Seelie[]
- Honor has its place, its purpose, and more often than not, its victories. What it also has is a responsibility. Luka is highly conscious of the nature of honor, and while many might wonder if she has any at all, few might realize that the bulk of her actions are accordingly plotted.
- They say that Love is all you need, and there's something to be said about that. Of course, love is also a dramedy in three parts, and Luka is intimately familiar with all three. Love is arguably the softest of her principles, and the most closely held, but also the most vulnerable—she doesn't really speak of love, even if she does enjoy living on the fringe of those who experience it. And any who spend a little time with her see it manifest in other ways.
- Beauty may be skin deep, or it may be deeper than that, but Luka makes no effort to hide the fact that the version of love she infamously claims is the one that falls for faces first—and usually ends there. Luka takes great pride in her appearance, and is equally attracted to people who echo her own appeal. While the concept of beauty may vary—she's unlikely to care about a sparkling diamond or a Renaissance painting, but will go to great lengths for music, a pretty smile, and a sunset over the ocean—it's the thing that drives her most dedicatedly, and the force that holds her attention. At least until it fades.
Unseelie[]
- Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and this is pretty much true of all who stoop low enough to pick the mantle up. Even so, there's no doubt that somebody needs to take the role. The Unseelie are nakedly ambitious about it, but that doesn't mean they've got a lock down on the hunger. Luka looks at power like a double-edged sword—and handles it accordingly.
- If Passion could be tapped, Luka could power a small city. That said, her passions are usually balanced with her obsession with beautiful things and her love of life. Even so, the perfect triptych of Luka's life might be considered to include love, passion and beauty—a balance that can't possibly last.
- Things Change. That's the only constant in this life. If the Unseelie choose to embrace it to the point of forcing change at will, that's just a different kind of change. Of all the principles, Luka is amused by the Unseelie's obsession with it, but it's not as if the Seelie's infatuation with beauty or love is all that different.
Tropes[]
- Face of the Band: As the only member of SINCRU-7, a K-pop/rock fusion band, who lives and operates out of King George City, Luka is for all intents and purposes the "face of the band" in the Chronicles of the Domain of Brasswork Sorrows.
- I Am What I Am: And what she is happens to be Difficult but Awesome. She varies from Proud to be a Geek to Face of the Band to surfer girl to Proud Beauty to Friendly Sniper (a bonafide Girl with Guns and her trusty Swiss Army Gun), and no matter the crazy lengths she hits, she Regrets Nothing. She is what she is.
- Up until recently, Luka maintained a remarkably easy Friends With Benefits status with multiple people. She's been seen to make use of more than one Lap Pillow, which is supposedly reserved for intimate couples—thereby breaking the trope entirely. Although it's been made very apparent that she has Commitment Issues—definitely because Love Hurts—she seems to have been locked down by someone or something. Of course, that doesn't seem to stop her from playing Matchmaker for other people; subtly, unsubtly, willing or otherwise. Hypocritical? Absolutely.
- Luka's got a hell of a sweet tooth. So much so that she can easily be seen Eating the Eye Candy on a regular basis. It's a running gag, by this point. Then again, this same attitude is probably what allows her to Flirt Under Fire with such ease. Does she even take anything seriously?
- Overrated and Underleveled: A Long Time Bound or an Ancient Fae does not get any extra points for their character at chargen. This leads to a serious lack of development in the hundreds to thousands of years said characters have been alive—story indicates they achieved something, but their character sheet does not reflect this. For purposes of gameplay, this decided lack of skill merged with lofty reputation or story is conveniently ignored.
Theme Songs[]
- Main Theme: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAbokV76tkU | BIGBANG - Fantastic Baby }}
- Motivation: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCDVfMz15M | P!nk - Try }}
- Comeback Fight: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCE0ThGmOSU | Crooked Valentine - War Machine }}
- Current Status: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLNbfUFu3EA | Kyla La Grange - Get It }}
Spotify Playlists[]
- General Themes and Soundtrack: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://open.spotify.com/user/whimsikay/playlist/4XT8ggYOqdD2hYeEEkVrrR | Faerie Tails and Foxfire }}
- 300 Years of Feels: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://open.spotify.com/user/whimsikay/playlist/4MLFIjN4vqMyJYiV7NcBT2 | Foxtails and Feels }}
- Shit's Going Down: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://open.spotify.com/user/whimsikay/playlist/7ol603Pon5Whqf4LlsfbhK | Hell Met No Fury... }}
- The One About Zephyr: {{ #NewWindowLink: https://open.spotify.com/user/whimsikay/playlist/6367OtEQzAUZM9LfY4X6Tn | Playing With Electricity }}
Art & Inspiration[]
- {{ #NewWindowLink: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/108790147225110885/ | Sail Away }} by SourAcid (Deviant Artist)