Akira Hajime

Akira (left) with Suuzu

Akira Hajime does not have a book to himself. Instead, the story of his steadfast relationship with the phoenix Suuzu Farroost gently unfolds over the course of the Amaranthine Saga.

## Background

Akira was very young when he and his older sister Tsumiko were taken to live at Saint Midori's Orphanage. As such, he has no childhood memories of his parents. As far as they knew, Akira and his sister were each other's only family. When he was old enough to go to middle school, he had to leave Saint Midori's and attend a different school, as Saint Midori's was an all-girl school.

## Characteristics

##### Physical

Japanese-born, Akira has boyish looks that make him appear younger than he is, even when he is in his mid-20s. He is also noted to strongly resemble his father, Hajime.

##### Personality

Akira is very accepting and fairly outgoing, which makes him a natural impromptu interspecies ambassador and a gentle guide for those looking to step outside of their comfort zones. Both Suuzu and Fumiko have benefitted in this way. He is attentive to mentions of tree-kin and possible available golden seeds, but only because he doesn't want Suuzu and his sister to be sad if he leaves them.

## Abilities

Akira is an ordinary human with no innate extraordinary abilities. He does have acquired resistance to both dragon sway and Hajime's amnesia-inducing pollen.

## Relationships

##### Tsumiko

Tsumiko and Akira enjoy a close sibling relationship, having been each other's only family until the events of *Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox*. Once Tsumiko became Argent's bondmate and stopped aging, their relationship gained an air of melancholy, as Akira did not inherit any Reaver ability and continued to age, eventually passing up Tsumiko and becoming the physically older one. Even so, Akira constantly maintains communication with Tsumiko when he isn't at Stately House.

##### Suuzu Farroost

Suuzu came to Akira's school as a transfer student shortly after the Emergence. Akira made a strong first impression on Suuzu, which was all that it took for Suuzu to become permanently attached. They spent their school years as roommates, perpetually in close proximity to each other and Suuzu claimed Akira as a "nestmate", which Akira interpreted as a brother or a life-long friend. Akira's outgoing personality eased Suuzu past many of his reservations surrounding new people and new things. Early on, Suuzu noticed an unknown "something" concealed in Akira's abdomen, although its nature remained concealed until the events of *Pimiko and the Uncharted Island*.

During their first year at Saga Academy, Akira bore witness to Suuzu's increasing distress that Akira was growing older. Since Akira was not a Reaver, there was no way for Suuzu to tend him so he could share Suuzu's lifespan. Another hopeless option presented itself when Kimiko Miyabe showed them her family shrine's treasures, including three tiny reliquaries that used to contain golden seeds from tree Impressions. When Akira met Suuzu's brother Juuyu's, he saw a way to comfort his friend in Juuyu's "nest": a necklace that contained things that reminded him of home. Akira acquired Boonmar-fen Elderbough's assistance in creating a similar "nest" for Suuzu. When they initially made it, it included a tuned crystal paired to an anklet that Akira wears, enabling Suuzu to know his location, and an empty seed reliquary. They added to it together over the years. Suuzu also brought Akira to his family home in a hidden grove on an uncharted island and gave Akira clothing that displays his clan colors, gestures that Akira did not quite understand the gravity of at the time.

Boonmar-fen's assistance in creating the nest-necklace did not come for free: in exchange, Akira promised a favor that Boon could redeem at any point in the future. Boon called in said favor almost a decade later to assist with infiltrating the uncharted island where Dr. Kodoku was hiding. During pre-mission preparations, Akira learned through conversations with Jiminy Nightspangle and Fumiko that the necklace had all the makings of an introductory courting gift and that he had perhaps not fully understood his friend's feelings. After some thought, Akira acquired a follow-up gift to confirm his desire to court Suuzu: a decorative shawl pin made from nippet eggs. As of the end of *Pimiko and the Uncharted Island*, Akira and Suuzu's future bonding is promised and looking optimistic.

##### Jacques Smythe

SInce Jacques went to live at Stately House, has considered him a favorite uncle, much like Tsumiko and every other crosser that calls Stately House home. However, when Boonmar-fen calls in his favor, Jacques is conscripted into assisting and he and Akira are required to go undercover to infiltrate Dr. Kodoku's island. The personas they take on are of an almost-pedophile and his barely-legal boy-toy, an arrangement that takes Akira quite a bit of time to warm up to. Once he stops considering Jacques as "Uncle Jackie", a necessary move to deceive Amaranthine senses, Akira becomes attached to Jacques in a new way that ends up following them off the island. Unwilling to cast aside Jacques when he needs them most, Akira and Suuzu make room in their nest for him, at least until someone else claims his heart.

##### Naoki

Akira found Naoki during the events of *Pimiko and the Uncharted Island*. Akira is eager to reconnect with his parent and Naoki's priority from their first meeting was Akira's safety.

##### Hajime

Akira met Hajime during the events of *Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate*. After a few meetings, Hajime's ability to make people forget began to wear off and Akira realized that Hajime smelled like home. Hajime introduced himself as Tabigarasu and admitted to knowing Naoki. When Akira asked to talk more so he could hear about Naoki, Hajime agreed to meet Akira for lunch several consecutive times. During those meetings Akira became frustrated because Hajime would not volunteer very much information. He also became more wary as he figured out that Hajime was the Gentleman Bandit, a thief who had made off with two of the four Junzi, priceless Amaranthine treasures. Shortly thereafter, fearing for Akira's safety on hearing that he was associating with dragons, Hajime confessed to being Akira's father. Akira begged him to cooperate with Juuyu and the task force in Beacon, insistent that they all were all after the same cruel dragons, but it took Fumiko's intervention to make that happen. Akira left for Dr. Kodoku's island with Jacques a short while later having promised Hajime to bring back Naoki and see them both safely to Stately House where they and Tsumiko could be a family again.

## Appearances

##### Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox

* Ch 1 Junior Partner (Refrenced)
* Ch 9 Stately House
* Ch 16 Drifter