Tobi Varuda

Physical Appearance

• Medium-length red hair; grows it out longer as he gets older
• Right eye green, left eye light blue
  • After his time in Minarai, his eye color becomes slightly more pale, and he becomes highly sensitive to light
• Fair skinned; becomes more pale after his time in Minarai
• Medium in height
• Physically fit with a slender build; becomes more thin and sickly after his time in Minarai, although after he adjusts he gradually regains his strength
• After the dark crystal enters his right hand, his arm is stained black to about the elbow
  • Jagged crystal shards break the skin in various places
  • His right palm is coated in a thin crystal film that moves flexibly with his skin yet is rigid to the touch

Clothing Style

Tobi prefers to dress in trendy and high branded clothing. Like his mother, he likes being up to date on fashions and having a crisp and charismatic look. Although his style does loosen up a bit after moving to Nebraska, he still dresses himself well when out in public. He'll dress more casually when out doing physical activities or outdoor events so he won't ruin his clothing.

After his time in Minarai, Tobi cares a bit less about the way he dresses and just wears whatever is comfortable. He sticks to wearing long sleeves and pants along with sunglasses since his skin and eyes have become sensitive to light, and he burns more easily in the sun. He also wears bandages on his right arm and hand and a black glove over his right hand. More often than not he'll wear hoodies or jackets with hoods to more easily cover his head and eyes from light.

Personality

Tobi is an active and charming boy who loves to keep himself social and on the move. He has an unwavering confidence in himself in whatever he's doing, and he tends to be rather daring and fearless in trying new things or taking risks to get new experiences. He's very much a city-boy and is most accustomed to modern and fast-paced lifestyles, but he's capable of slowing down and smelling the roses too. He is very much a blend of his supermodel mother and archaeologist father. He has his mother's sass and charm, yet he also has his father's curiosity and down to earth nature. His body language and gestures have a very confident air to them, and he sometimes has a mild strut to his strides. However he is also very sharp witted and is always wondering and asking questions about the world. He can speak very eloquently and with charisma that's somewhat unexpected for someone his age, having all the logic and wit of a scientist and all the charm and presence of a pageant champion. He sometimes remarks that his father taught him to talk, but his mother taught him to walk. 

Tobi likes to keep himself looking sharp and enjoys attention and the limelight. However, he isn't bothered when he doesn't get enough attention and has no issue being left to his own devices. He finds fun in going his own little adventures and being able to take some risks without people breathing down his neck or fussing about his safety. He also loves to socialize, especially with girls, and he can sometimes come off as a little pushy or overly persistent with getting to know people in general, but he means well. As flirty as he is though, he's actually very romantic and is genuine about any affections he may display. When someone really catches his interest, whether it be in platonic or romantic relationships, he tends to shower them with favors and warmhearted gestures. He's willing to go out of his way to help his friends and pull any strings he needs to if they have problems, although if his kindness is taken advantage of he becomes the emperor of shade, and his bitter sass knows no limits.

Since his family is very well off due to his mother's high paying occupation, Tobi is admittedly quite a rich boy and doesn't have a lot of experience with middle or low class living. He's also very used to living in big cities, since he was born in NYC and lived there until he was 13. Despite the fact he's not accustomed to living in smaller communities in the middle class suburbs, he's eager to try new things and see what he's been missing. Even though he's used to urban life, he has a fascination with the outdoors and nature, especially some of the dustier locations his father has worked that he was able to visit. Sometimes he comes off as a bit high energy when he's exposed to new things, but that's only because he gets excited about things that pique his curiosity. He also can be a bit of a daredevil at times, enjoying activities such as bungee jumping and sky diving and not seeming to fear traffic (he has an odd ability to avoid getting hit by cars, whereas his best friend seems to have an odd ability to always get hit by them).

Abilities

• Crystalia rifting - rank 5/5, although he's often too physically weak to access his full potential; can reach deity levels when channeling Crystaldiz
• Flight by wings when channeling Crystaldiz
• Mastery over various magics of Minarai when channeling Crystaldiz
• On his own, has limited rifting capacity and is better at utilizing another source
• Skilled at playing various percussion instruments, his favorites being timpani and bass drum
• Skilled at singing and dancing, particularly for the spontaneous musical numbers that pop up at school

Strengths

• Confident, charismatic, and headstrong
• Optimistic, excels in very social environments, and eager to try new things
• Clever, a quick learner, and although he comes off as materialistic he's actually down to earth
• Loyal, always looking out for those close to him, and rarely is affected by negativity

Weaknesses

• Following his experience in Minarai, he becomes very physically frail and sensitive to light (although he does adjust over time)
• The previous experience also has made him highly sensitive to various spirits and he reacts strongly whenever Minarai is active
• Can be a little nosy/pushy, stubborn, and doesn't back off easily
• Still a touch unaccustomed to moving from high class living in NYC to a regular suburb in NE

Backstory

Tobi was born and grew up in New York City with his archaeologist father, Daniel, and supermodel mother, Machaela. His mother's career left them very well off, so he enjoyed a pampered life in their penthouse home. He was always a rather adventurous and curious boy that loved going with either of his parents to their very different jobs. They lived there until Tobi was 12. His father was assigned to work in a new location and lab for an extended amount of time in Nebraska, and although Tobi loved the city he was desperate to see more differing regions like the Midwest, which was completely new to him. Since Tobi had just finished elementary school he begged his parents to let him go with his father to his new station. His parents decided it would be a good experience for him to see more of the world, so they rented a home in the area and moved out there, planning to only stay until Tobi finished middle school.

During their move, Tobi was invited to enroll in a private school due to the officials observing his potential for rifting. During his 7th grade year he met and befriended many new peers easily due to his sociable nature, and he was thrilled to learn about this secret community of rifters. Although he didn't manage to figure out his rifting element during his first year, he didn't let it discourage him. During the summer accompanied his father to a dig site in a dried up lake, and he was happy to see his classmate, Moni Kanoski, there as well with her aunt. The two happened across a chest on accident in the site, and they were allowed to open it. Within was a trove of trinkets from unfamiliar cultures, along with a large tome and a dark crystal. Upon examining the crystal it embedded itself into Tobi's hand, and a dark being appeared seemingly from nowhere and attacked him. During the struggle, the tome reacted to the creature and sucked it into its pages along with Moni and Tobi's souls.

The two must navigate the dark work within the book while their bodies remain comatose in the real world. Tobi finds himself imbued with new and unmatched powers from the crystal, yet he fears it may consume him as it begins to spread up through his arm and affect his perception of the dark world imprisoning them.

Trivia:

Associated songs with Moni: Heart of Asia, Double Down Under