Song, Noel Li

NAME:
Noel Li Song

AGE:
21

GENDER:
Male

NATIONALITY:
Korean-English

BIRTHPLACE:
London, England

BIRTHDATE:
November 7th, 1991

PICTURE, RITUALIST:

NOEL:

PICTURE, DEMON:

LUNE:

DESCRIPTION:
For the most part, Noel's appearance is somewhat unremarkable. Standing a few inches shy of six feet tall, with a slender build that could be called lanky, he generally succeeds as he does his best to fade into the backdrop of any given situation. His penchant for clothes in muted tones aids in this, though he does admittedly have a certain affinity for scarves and the odd gleaming accessory. Noel's Korean parentage is evident in the exquisitely dark shade of his hair and suggested faintly in the shape of his eyes—eyes that were, at one time, also a bottomless black. At the point when Noel lost the monopoly on his own body, however, he awoke and found in short order that they had shifted to a vivid shade of red. It's something that unsettles him to this day, and the reason he prefers vastly to stare at the floor rather than make eye contact—even if it's a mirror that he's standing in front of.

It is also perhaps worth noting that, while Noel has yet to cross over into Inferis, when he does he will find himself unchanged barring the manifestation of full military dress—complete with a holster at his hip, though the pistol's gone missing. Which is all well and good, really, as Noel wouldn't have the faintest idea how to use one anyway.

PERSONALITY:
Upon a first glance, one might well not even notice the dark-haired young man standing off to the side. Once a person does mark his presence, though, and perhaps exchanges a scant few words with him, Noel can easily come across a few different ways.

Even on a good day it'd be difficult to call him charming, but there is an unexpectedly gentlemanly quality to him at times. He is the sort to chaperone a stray, to hold a door or retrieve a dropped item for a stranger. Going too far out of his way, though, or sacrificing something he values for someone he doesn't is asking a bit much. Granted, it's a subtle sort of kindness, but Noel does believe in basic human decency, at least. Fairness is also something he places value on, as it just rubs Noel all sorts of wrong to truly cheat someone or benefit from another person's misfortune. It's just not his style.

At most times, however, Noel is admittedly and unapologetically lacking in the 'nice' department. There's no real malevolence in him, though, and Noel isn't one to just stand by and let anyone he cares about get hurt. Whether it be physically or by the words or actions of another, he will be the first to stand and shield a person whether they feel they need it or not. Considering that he himself is mainly unconcerned with tact, though, this can understandably come as a surprise—it isn't uncommon for the abrasive words to be his own.

An extension of the above, in general Noel just plain doesn't like bad things happening to people who don't deserve them. Believe it or not, there is some inherent good within this boy, and he prefers to see wrongs righted with the least fuss possible. Real wrongs, that is—serious, harmful or lasting things. A person's feelings being hurt over a harsh word, on the other hand, is rarely worth the breath it costs him to apologize. With the tables turned, however, Noel is liable to hang onto even minor slights against him. He is not at all above a grudge over something trivial. On another note, ambition is not one of Noel's strong points. You couldn't quite say that he's a hard worker—at least, not a hundred percent of the time. Noel is a medical student who also holds down a part-time job, so he knows what it's like to bust his ass. It's just, he usually only does that when it's necessary. With a habit of procrastination, things tend to pile up at the last minute and cue a mad rush for completion, complete with the requisite caffeine-fueled, sleepless nights.

On a not-so-good day, often following one of those nights, Noel is... nervous. At all times, really, there is a certain level of paranoid taking up space in his mind, but on some days his mistrust gets the better of him and Noel becomes downright skittish. It may or may not be a side effect of having a second and very real voice inside his head, a strain on his otherwise human mind. On the worst days, he finds himself imagining a threat hiding literally around every corner, and even Lune has difficulty calming him. Times like this are incredibly frustrating for Noel, who doesn't really view himself a coward—but what else do you call that?

Likely as a method of defying that notion, Noel rarely hesitates when his instincts tell him a situation is dangerous or otherwise not in his favor. There is quite a difference between bravery and recklessness, however, and Noel's actions tend to fall squarely within the realm of the latter. The one thing to date that he has refused to do out of concern for his own safety is to enter Inferis, much to Lune's disappointment—well-guarded, but detectable nonetheless. The boy's reasoning for this is convoluted at best, a cross between fear of the unknown, a distaste for other demons and the barest suggestion of apprehension over Lune's intentions that Noel dares not put into words.

Overall, though, he is marginally responsible, and a reasonable person... except when it comes to admitting that he's wrong about something. It goes without saying that everyone makes mistakes, but Noel tends to be very defensive of them and of his own flaws in general. Even when incensed, though, Noel's temper is volatile. So if you were to choose to ignore the path of least resistance and continue to aggravate him, well, at least he'd get bored and let it go before too long. His attention span is rather lacking, to be honest, and he is pretty easily distracted from most things. Despite this seemingly laid back attitude, however, Noel is surprisingly anti-change. When he's set his mind to something or just has an established routine, the smallest diversion from it has the potential to throw him all out of whack. With time to readjust he'll be right as rain, but it's just getting there that's the problem. Needless to say, he's not much a fan of trying new things, either.

As far as his relationship with his bonded demon goes, Lune has long since become a person being that Noel relies on. There is no escaping the fact that Noel loves Lune, though that sentiment is much less romantic than it is spiritual. Devotion. Fidelity. Reverence. Perhaps something indeed akin to Stockholm syndrome. Where so many important things in his life have either abandoned him or been ripped away, Lune has been a constant from that one earliest memory. Noel wouldn't consider himself a part of any occult movement, or even a supporter of demons in any sense. But to Lune he quite literally owes his life, and that is not something Noel will soon forget.

DEMON PERSONALITY:
First and foremost, Lune is a demon with a status complex. Noel has long been under the impression that he belongs to or was formerly some sort of royalty in Inferis, though his own past is not a thing Lune's ever seemed interested in speaking of. Thus, it wasn't very long at all that Noel allowed himself to be frustrated by the demon's lack of disclosure and simply learned to let the matter drop. One correction he did make voluntarily was the fact that, despite Noel's custom of addressing him as male, Lune possesses no actual gender. At one time he must have, of course, but the demon admits that any shred of his human memory has long since been lost. At any rate, though he remains relatively supportive, Lune has a clear distaste for Noel's lack of ambition and, therefore, status within the human realm. It seems to Noel that the demon has some specific end in mind for him, but if that's the case then it's yet another piece of information that Lune refuses to divulge.

Beyond that, the demon is unexpectedly formal—polite, even. Though they are often tinged with cold, Lune's words—whether spoken in English or Demonic—have a regal tone that seems to have come from another era. It isn't often that Noel is even able to get anything of a rise out of the demon, though the boy has discovered the method. Being considerably more concerned with logic and precaution, the quickest way to incense Lune is for Noel to put himself at undue risk. The demon has a tendency to fixate on even minor offenses to Noel, which assumedly is the source of Noel's own inclination toward holding a grudge. Lune, though, doesn't much bother with stoking the fires of animosity—he prefers vengeance, cold and efficient. It's their experiences with such things that revealed to Noel Lune's sadistic streak. Withheld on many occasions, it occasionally shines through and even bleeds into Noel's personality.

Once, and only once, Noel asked Lune if that name was short for lunatic. The demon didn't speak to him for a month.

HISTORY:
Imagine, if you will, a boy. No need to conjure anything special, as he has always been somewhat on the plain side of things. Just a boy, pale skinned with a mop of dark hair and the biggest, blackest eyes. See him crouched down in the dirt, somewhat removed from all of the other children making a ruckus on the playground. In this moment he is entirely apart from them, not even seeing the flashes of colorful clothing as they run about despite those dark eyes being widened further in something akin to alarm.

This was the first time that Lune spoke to him, and the moment that Noel's life was irrevocably altered.

The voice emanating from inside his own head was soft, cultured and accented as if it belonged right here in London, though as distinctly other as it was unthreatening. Still, Noel's five-year-old heart raced, a discord of fear and joy and excitement churning within him. "Be calm, young one. Be strong. Our lives are going to change."

Up until then, Noel's life had been decent. Five years of relative normality, of a life untouched by extremes, supernatural or otherwise. Lune's quiet entrance into his world, however, had seemed to initiate a gradual domino effect of disruption, culminating with a haphazard and blood-soaked summoning ritual at the age of seventeen, following a near-fatal accident. The two of them had been together, in a sense, for more than a decade by that point, Lune's presence in Noel's mind and in his dreams a thing he could no longer imagine being without. Somewhere near the beginning, Noel had asked what it was exactly that Lune wanted with him, and the reply had been perplexing—"Nothing." Despite the gentle reassurance, Lune still terrified Noel. There had never been a point where he believed the voice inside his head was a creation of his own mind, that he had or was losing his grip on sanity. That, perhaps, made the entire thing worse, as what on earth could prompt a demon—as Lune declared himself matter-of-factly—to take such an interest in him? This, though, was one of many things that Noel would come to find Lune reluctant to speak of. Whether he truly had no agenda or if it was simply yet to be shared, Noel couldn't know.

Remaining simultaneously frightened and enamored of Lune, Noel over the years came to rely on the unexpectedly serene demon. When things began to go wrong, it was Lune's soft voice soothing his thoughts. When he found he was losing his way, Lune offered him direction. When his mother suddenly disappeared, Lune entered his fitful sleep and shut down the nightmarish possibilities of her fate.

When Noel lay in a pool of his own blood, glass and twisted metal surrounding him and grit from the pavement embedded in his skin, Lune taught him the ritual.

What the demon asked was simple—Noel's life, nothing more. Were it not for the intervention, the boy surely would have perished anyway. As it was, following the whispered words, Noel lapsed into a coma as the demon overtook him, his consciousness tucked away in the dark recesses of his own mind. Domination was evidently not Lune's aim, however, as Noel came to within days. Doctors scrambled in their efforts to explain his inexplicable recovery, the boy emerging from the hospital a week later with not a scratch on him. Noel adjusted quickly to the demon's presence becoming constant as opposed to occasional, and carried on with a life that had very nearly been cut short.

To think—a demon saving the life of a boy. There was... not suspicion, precisely, but more of an expectation that Lune would eventually make some sort of demand of Noel. Four years later, however, this request has yet to come. His father having long since been out of the picture, it'd been down to Noel to look after himself when his mother vanished. Luckily he'd been old enough in the eyes of society to do just that, and housed in his university's dorms on a grant that meant he wasn't immediately spat out onto the streets. His siblings, though, were taken promptly into official custody.

At present, Noel is finishing up a nursing certification program. His decision to pursue that particular career had been partially based upon job security—yeah, he'd admit it. For the majority of his life, he'd seen his undereducated mother struggle with one underpaying job too many, and never wanted to go through that himself. But it also simply seemed like a good fit for him. Sometimes despite himself, Noel enjoyed helping people, and what more basic way of doing so was there? No way he had the discipline to become a real doctor, so nursing it was. At least for now. Unfortunately, though, they don't start paying you to be a nurse until you're actually certified as one, and school costs money regardless of what government assistance you're getting. Living costs money. Thus, Noel holds down a part-time job as well.

To be honest, Noel's seen himself become a rather boring individual indeed, demonic possession aside. That, though, isn't exactly a thing to be brought up in casual conversation. And to Lune, he thinks, this life must seem downright interminable. But the demon doesn't appear to agree, and that is just as well.



FACTION:
As of now, Noel's loyalties lie only with himself and his demon. Though he knows they are out there, he has no interest in creating ties with other Ritualists, let alone to be involved in the politics of Inferis, Earth or anything between.

SKILLS:

♦ In training as a nurse, Noel has the skills associated with the profession and is quite capable of performing under pressure.
♦ Due in part to a nearly eidetic memory, Noel learns very quickly. When he pays attention, it takes no time at all for him to grasp a new concept.
♦ A natural talent seeming to have been enhanced by his bonded demon, Noel is excellent at going unnoticed.
♦ When all else fails, however, the boy is quite quick on his feet and pretty resourceful when it comes to escaping a situation.

DEMON SKILLS:

♦ When Lune's influence is high, there is an inexplicably disarming quality to Noel's words, no matter the actual content.
♦ Lune is also a demon of acute intelligence, and this is something that has seeped through their bond to enhance Noel's own mind.
♦ Noel's rate of healing is also greatly enhanced by his demon, the very first evidence of that appearing when Lune quite literally saved his life.

WEAKNESSES:

♦ At times, Noel's paranoia is a big issue for him. He does his best to contain it, but there are occasions when it gets the best of him.
♦ Having no involvement in affairs of the demonic variety and no interest in violence for the hell of it, Noel has zero fighting or weapons skills.
♦ Noel is quite susceptible to baiting by way of his reckless nature. If action needs taking, he tends not to take even a moment to consider possible danger.

COLOURS:
Noel speaks:

♦ "Native English, in #d8445a."
♦ "Spotty Korean, in #ba2c41."
♦ "Reluctant Demonic, in #ae1d32."

Lune speaks:

♦ "Proper English, fondly, in #d7d7d7."
♦ "Demonic, delicately, in #a5a4a4."

TRIVIA:

♦ Though he never showed interest, Noel has substantial knowledge of Inferis and its inhabitants, courtesy of Lune.
♦ Specific things that frighten him include overcrowded spaces, airplanes, elevators and flat darkness.
♦ Noel's sense of humor is somewhat dry and even morbid at times, which when shared tends to earn him odd looks more often than laughter.
♦ With regards to his family, Noel is the oldest of two boys and a girl born just before their father bailed.
♦ He has, however, been out of contact with his siblings since they were separated. Truthfully, Noel has no intention of seeing them again, believing himself tainted.

ALIAS:
Alter

OTHER CHARACTERS:
—

ROLEPLAY HISTORY:
Over a decade in general, but nearly eight years in forum roleplays.

FACECLAIM:

Code:

[b]DURARARA!![/b] :: [b]ORIHARA IZAYA[/b]

CUSTOM RANK:
Oh, Catastrophe...

Archive date is June 24th.

Absolutely sterling, Alter. Don't forget your Amalgams, your Inferis Morphs, and finally to put your languages in your sig.