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[Character Name] Gareki
[Canon] Karneval
[Point Taken from Canon]
[Age] 15
[Gender] Male
[Sexual Orientation] .... honestly, it beats me. Chances are, he doesn't care about that sort of thing.
[Eye Color] Brown, I think.
[Hair Color] Black
[Height] 170 cm / 5'6"-ish
[Other] Nothing in specific comes to mind...
[Clothing] Click away!
-- typical clothes tend to involve a mix of pants, some sort of loose shirt, and a jacket. Jacket is normally zipped up unless he gives it off to Nai. He also seems to like having goggles on his person, and occasionally a hat.
[Background] Gareki's childhood is, for the most part, not a very happy one. He was sold by his parents, or rather who he assumes was his parents, when he was at the age of 8. After that, he was bought on board a transport ship, where many other people who were sold also stayed. Since they were all crowded in one room, some of the people started to bully the weaker ones. Despite not being weak, Gareki was the smallest one there, and was also bullied because of it. He realized at some point during the trip that they were putting something in the food, and more and more of the people were getting ill.
The ship eventually got caught in the storm, and he took that opportunity to escape. He fought against the waves and was lucky enough to reach shore. On a search for something to eat, he found that after a while he couldn't walk anymore. It was at that time that a kind woman by the name of Tsubaki found him. The reason that she couldn't leave him be was because that she also had two younger siblings, Tsubame and Yotaka who were the same age as him. There was a man who Tsubaki loved, and who also gave her the food to give to the twins, claiming that there were "nutrients" mixed in. This man was also taking care of their grandpa's hospitalization costs. They were very dependant on him.
Originally having grown in a very jaded environment, full of suffering where one has to strive for themselves, Gareki was very wary of this family that had come to accept him. It was Tsubaki that had named him and told him that now they were family. Even Tsubame and Yotaka came to eventually grow fond of Gareki, Tsubame especially worrying about his well-being. They became very much like a family, sometimes not starting to eat dinner until Gareki show up. It was their grandpa that introduced Gareki to mechanics, offering him some parts that he found from the junkyard to toy with. He grew used to the idea, and started to care about this family of his very much.
But apparently he wasn't allowed to be happy for too long, since the man who they all depended on chose to turn on them, even going so far as killing Tsubaki. He disappeared from their lives without a trace. Gareki made a silent promise to himself that, despite not knowing his name or face, he would kill the man who killed Tsubaki. Not too long after Tsubaki's death, Gareki left behind his family. Although he didn't completely abandon them, actually taking up stealing and thievery to take care of their grandpa's hospitalization costs. But he cut off ties of communication, not even welcoming Yotaka when he came to see him. After that, Gareki started to steal and sell the goods in exchange for money.
Gareki made his dynamic first entrance in the series in the most destructive, yet somewhat stylish, way ever: straight through the ceiling, complete with explosives and a big boom. He and a few people he knew were on a raid that night, and by Gareki's choice, they were raiding the manor of a lady named Mine. She claimed to be with Circus, but that didn't particularly bother him. He was just there for the money and treasures she'd managed to gather. Despite having a rather bewildered looking kid watching him glance through what was worthy of being stolen or not, he wasn't very fazed. After taking a quick inventory, he was about to leave, saying, "Right then. I'm leaving."
But the kid wouldn't let him have it so easy, wanting to go with him outside. It was simple enough to Gareki, and he could possibly use this kid. The bracelet he'd found, while taking anything valuable in sight, seemed to belong to this scrawny child, after all. In exchange for learning a bit more, he'd be willing to let the him out. Once the kid happily agreed, Gareki shot off (what I'm guessing was) the tracking bracelet off Nai's wrist with a gun. They went through some brief introductions, and Gareki learned that the kid's name was Nai.
While Gareki wanted a quick getaway, it seemed that fate had something against him that night. He ran into Mine, who had turned into a monster by then, and met up with one of his thieving partners before taking off yet again. Throwing a bomb in attempts to shake off the monster that was following them, they ran into a random room, running into yet another one of Gareki's partners. Unluckily for them, Mine managed to follow them and quickly went on the offensive, taking one of Gareki's helpers and starting to chew on the poor guy. Pulling out a gun and ready to shoot, Gareki's movements were suddenly stopped when he saw the corpse of a young girl. After a few moments of consideration, he grabbed Nai and started to run off, claiming that it was their chance.
They managed to get away, and Gareki had a bit of a philosophical moment before realizing that the small boy that was walking next to him had passed out. Begrudgingly, the thief dragged Nai back to where he was staying and made his best attempts to nurse him back to health. Returning from a food run, Gareki was less than pleased to notice that Nai had managed to get away. Suddenly, he was on a search for a kid that he barely even knew, and he was even less happy when he saw the wanted posters up with Nai's picture. Eventually their paths managed to cross, and Gareki took the time to strangle the poor kid as punishment, offering a lecture as well. As Nai tried to express that his intentions were only innocent and that he only wanted to see Karoku (the owner of the bracelet and Nai's "brother"), it rang a bit of nostalgia for Gareki, since Tsubaki only wanted to see the man she loved. He gave yet another lecture, saying that Nai is the type that dies fast, before instructing Nai to change clothes, so as to make sure he's not recognized. It is then that they decide on Gareki's next act of thievery to get Nai's bracelet back.
Posing as a curious student who wants to take a tour of the law enforcement building, Gareki intends on finding out a bit more information about the chief of security who stole Nai's bracelet. He gives the simple instructions to Nai that after five minutes, he should push a button that would trigger a bomb explosion. He fails to realize that Nai has absolutely no sense of time. An exhausting twenty minutes later, the explosion finally goes off and the security force dash to the scene. Taking this chance to dig a little deeper, Gareki is sure that no one would be returning any time. Things do not go as planned when the security chief returns, and Gareki scrambles to hide in a ventilation shaft. He catches a glimpse of some papers, going back to get Nai once he gets all his information.
He explains a quick run-down of the situation, telling Nai the basics about the world, concerning Circus, the Security Force, and that Karoku's bracelet is actually a Circus ID. Looking for more information from Nai, he asks about his background. Being told about the circumstances in which Karoku disappeared, Gareki starts to wonder of Karoku's even alive. Wondering about whether or not it's worth all this trouble, Gareki decides to just help out Nai, even if it's just because he doesn't want the chief of security to get his way. A plan is formulated then, where Gareki explains that the chief would be selling the bracelet off tomorrow, and that'd be when they're gonna take it back. The next step after that would be getting Nai to someplace else. Not wanting to be left along, Nai asks where Gareki would be going, since if he was gonna be alone, he'd get lonely. He adds the sugary statement that Gareki is a "nice person".
After a moment of brain lapse at the idea of being considered a nice person, Gareki does pretty much the opposite of what a genuinely nice person would do. Deciding to strike up a deal, he asks what compensation he'd get for following Nai around. He goes with the original plan and asks for the bracelet in exchange for taking care of Nai. When brought up with the challenge of the bracelet belonging to Karoku, Gareki says that Nai can just ask Karoku if he can give away the bracelet (whilst thinking to himself that it'd be the case scenario if Karoku's not dead). Nai agrees, and an awkward partnership of sorts is formed. Pulling off yet another disguise, this time pretending to be a gang member which isn't hard when he looks naturally scruffy , Gareki intercepts the chief and points him in the direction where the gang actually is. Revealing that he managed to get the bracelet back when he bumped into the chief, he decides to also leave a little parting gift for the chief. Previously having rigged the meeting place with alarms, he made it seem that the chief was planning on ratting the gang out to the security force.
Now that they're "on the run", no thanks to Nai, their next plan of action is to leave town. They haphazardly manage to get on the train, breathing a sigh of relief that they wouldn't have to wait half a day for the next one. Though it would've been smarter for them to wait, as that train was apparently hijacked and the stage for a kidnapping. There's a bit of a ruckus as someone enters the cart they're in from the ceiling. Drawing his gun in self-defense, Gareki is quickly taken down by the stranger, taking the gun as a sign of hostility. It's only when he sees Nai's boarding ticket does he realize the mistake that occurred. The stranger proceeds to take out any of the others on the train, who are all kidnappers who are in control of the train.
Once the way is cleared for them, Nai runs ahead with Gareki following. They make it to the front, where they find out the train is being controlled by a bunch of people with a grudge against a man who boarded the train, taking the man's niece and another girl hostage as well. Gareki turns, planning on heading to the back so that they don't have to deal with it, but his plans are foiled as Nai enters the room. Bullets fly and Gareki quickly goes to the rescue, dragging the smaller boy back out to the rear cars. They're being chased, but their pursuers are quickly thrown off (quite literally) by the other girl who was being held hostage. Just before one of the back cars is blown off from an explosive, Nai pulls the girl and Gareki away from it. Quickly deciphering the situation, Gareki figures that the sounds Nai must've heard were the explosives on the train, and that the entire thing is probably rigged with bombs.
Hearing the actu scenario from the man who entered via the ceiling, Gareki does his best to put two and two together. He drags the man who had been helping them out and Nai along to try to find out where the bombs are and try to diffuse them. Nai manages to locate the bomb, and they manage an opening, which is where Gareki does his best to figure out how the bomb works and diffuse it. He figures out the mechanics of it and proposes how to deal with the situation. The man fixes the situation by disconnecting the cart they're in from the back carts entirely, which stops the signal that is emitting from the detonator. They manage to arrive at the next town without any other obstacles, and despite the instructions from the man that Gareki calls "phony four eyes" that they should stay in one place, Gareki insists that they leave since the Security Force is around and Nai is still a wanted criminal.
After more information gathering, they find out that the town they entered is currently preparing for a festival, since some raids recently occurred to apprehend some criminals. In exchange, Circus prepare a city-wide party for all the citizens so they aren't frightened. They make a plan for how Nai is going to address Circus and ask about Karoku, where basically Gareki does all the talking, and head out that same day. It's a simple search in the beginning, while Gareki does his best to make sure Nai doesn't wander off, which is no easy job. However, when Gareki is conned (by tears and wailing) to grab a kid's balloon that wrapped around a lamp post, the two are separated yet again. Their reunion isn't too much later, where Nai is again punished for wandering off.
The two make their way towards the plaza where Circus is, with Gareki leading the way. However he's struck by a taser and is left immobile as the men try to take Nai away. Their knight in shining armor comes in the form of a guy in a cat suit who uses candy bars as his substitute for throwing stars. The guy reveals to be Circus Lieutenant Yogi, and he sends the two men off running. Apparently Circus was looking for Nai and Gareki, and this curious Yogi fellow then whisks them away to the Circus ship. It's there that the situation is explained to them, and it's also revealed that the girl and "phony four-eyes" they met on the train were a part of Circus. They're asked a number of things, such as about the lady they met named Mine, and given a run-through about what Circus agents do and how they combat the monsters who have been transformed from humans. The man, who introduced himself as Hirato, says that if any of Mine's blood got on Gareki, he'd be in danger so it's suggested that Gareki stay with them. Nai's situation is also resolved, and the two are welcome to stay with Circus for the time being.
They all begin to relax on board the ship, but Gareki still isn't entirely convinced. He wanders off on his own, curious about where he is, and begins to head towards some off-limits areas. He's stopped by one of the robotic sheep on board the Circus ship, but continues to walk on nonetheless. Eventually multiple sheep crowd around him and start dragging him away from the off-limits area … via bouncing and tossing. The others who were looking for him catch up to him and save him from his cruel, dizzying fate. This begins Gareki's vendetta against black robotic sheep.
Once having regained his equilibrium, Gareki attempts to leave the ship once he sees that it's landed. While he's distracted well enough with dinner, it's not long before Yogi suggests a game of hide-and-seek. Needless to say, things go awry as Nai gets lost yet again and they have to go and save him. He gets into a bit of trouble with yet another weirdo like Mine, but it's easier to deal with since they actually have Circus members to lend a hand. All goes well when they return to the Circus ship until Nai suddenly goes unconscious with a headache. They take him to the ship's doctor, who Gareki unsurprisingly has an argument with.
When Nai wakes up, Gareki is rather relieved. However this somewhat touching moment quickly disperses as Nai pushes him away, saying "I don't need Gareki". Despite trying to be understanding, Gareki is only annoyed more and makes an attempt to leave but Nai chases after him, putting Karoku's bracelet in his coat pocket. Clearly angered at the notion, Gareki leaves the room and slams the door. He goes to take out his anger on poor Yogi, speaking to him in a rather threatening voice, passing on the information that Nai is awake and that they should go get the doctor. His mood still not improved, the two go to find the doctor, only stumbling upon him and Hirato as the doctor claims that Nai is actually an animal called the Niji. As disturbing as the information in, Gareki is rather convinced as he sees the actual data derived from the tests. Thinking about how he'd been helping Nai, he's rather embarrassed about how his actions must've looked. He ignores Tsukumo's attempts at helping and tells her to leave him alone.
Later, he addresses Nai about the situation, while still trying to figure out what's going on. He's still pretty confused about what to think of Nai, not sure whether to consider him to be a kid or an animal. He snaps at Nai and tries to be patient enough to listen to the whole story, as to why Nai tried to push him away so suddenly. Hearing about Nai's nightmare, and how Karoku was the one who told him to say those things, Gareki starts to wonder exactly what Nai's relationship to Karoku is and what's going on between the two. Nonetheless, Gareki comes to a conclusion and apologizes, also admitting that he doesn't actually hate Nai. He decides to stick around a little longer, not only because he wants to meet Karoku and admits that he doesn't plan on breaking at all.
Nai and Gareki are then told that they need to take examinations later on, which Nai happily agrees to. The procedure goes normally, and Gareki is told that apparently everything is normal about him except his personality. More so, nothing entered his bloodstream from his encounter with Mine. As Nai and Gareki return to their room, Nai points out where he used to live, the Niji Forest. Gareki recognizes it since it is just a bit north of the town he used to live in (and also where he met Nai). He starts thinking to himself about his hometown, before admitting to Nai that their travels have only improved the way that he thinks and makes him see the world a bit lighter in comparison to how he did before. Once Nai returns Gareki's philosophical words with a compliment of sorts, Gareki gets flustered and insists on going to bed. Later on when the doctor gives Nai an opportunity to run away, Nai says that he wants to go visit the Niji Forest so he can learn more. While Gareki protests, Yogi manages to keep him from attacking Nai.
On their next order of business, they go to the Niji Forest just as Nai wishes. Gareki follows his typical baby-sitting duties and makes sure that Nai doesn't wander around. Once having wandered farther into the forest, they're attacked by some monsters and Yogi chooses then to take action and makes an attempt to protect them. After Nai runs out into the field, Gareki goes after him and ends up getting caught up in the fight. He's undamaged for the most part, and is begrudgingly carried back to where Nai is by Iva, another member of Circus who arrived to end the battle. He's taken out for the rest of the expedition so that he can recuperate back at the Circus ship.
Before they even leave the Niji Forest, Gareki already starts making demands. He says that he needs to stop by Karasuna, his hometown. Somehow, he manages to get permission to go, with Nai and Yogi tagging along. Shortly after their arrival, a young girl approaches them, and Gareki recognizes her as Tsubame. He asks why she called for him, and she says that it's because she killed someone and doesn't know what to do. After Tsubame leads them to where she stays with her twin brother, Yotaka, Gareki asks for the details of what happened to her. She says that she doesn't remember what happens, but she wakes up covered in blood and dead people surrounding her. Yotaka interrupts then, rudely talking to Gareki before Tsubame directs the Gareki and the others to the vacant houses across the street.
Just as they're about ready to settle to sleep, Yogi asks Gareki how he knows Tsubame and Yotaka. Gareki then chooses to tell the story of his past, concerning Tsubaki, Yotaka, and Tsubame. Yogi offers him a hug, which he promptly denies, but Nai chimes in saying that Gareki shouldn't kill Yogi. Annoyed, and probably a bit flustered, Gareki tells them to shut up and then goes to sleep. He's awakened later on by Yogi as they notice Tsubame rushing off. They run after her and eventually find a transformed Yotaka at a murder scene.
Yotaka attacks Yogi and Gareki heads off with Nai in a search for safety. Eventually he leaves the boy behind to return to help out Yotaka, not wanting the boy to die. He manages to make it to the scene, and Nai makes his reappearance with Tsubame and some creepy guy. Gareki proceeds to kick the man in the hand, before the guy goes off on a rant, explaining Yotaka's situation. Apparently the twins had taken special nutrients in their food as children, which altered their DNA to become monsters. Yotaka started taking Tsubame's share after a while so that they could continue to get the money, self-sacrificing for his sister and family. Unsurprisingly, Gareki is angered by this and proceeds to attack the man before being knocked away. When the man gives Yotaka the command to kill everyone, the boy surprisingly manages to gather enough will power to refuse. But instead, he pleads for Gareki to end his life so he won't have to hurt anyone anymore. While Gareki hesitates, Hirato enters the scene, swiping one of Yogi's swords to stab Yotaka in the chest. Everyone's shocked by the man's sudden appearance, but Yotaka still manages to give his sad farewell to his sister before his body disperses into the air.
The area clears out once Hirato gives chase as the man who gave the twins the nutrients runs away. Gareki doesn't shed a tear, but Nai seems to think that he's crying on the inside. Things turn to chaos once Tsubame suddenly begs Gareki to take her life as well, now that everyone who she loved is gone. Tsubaki had died, her grandfather didn't remember her, Gareki had left her, and now Yotaka had died as well. When Gareki tries to convince her to regain her will to live, she says that there's really no need, she's not even needed to pay for her grandfather's hospitalization fees since the nurse told her that someone else was taking care of it. A light appears in the distance, and that signifies that Hirato had killed the man who Gareki had sworn a vendetta against. Despite having the man who killed Tsubaki dead, Gareki isn't sure if he's entirely satisfied, although he can't quite pinpoint the reason why. As the Circus executives return, they ask Tsubame to go with them. Gareki stops them from taking her away and tells her that she's not alone, since the type of person she is will always draw people to be around her. She gives him one last guilt trip about how he left them alone, and how they ended up so lonely, before she's led away.
So Gareki is forced to leave his hometown with a fallen spirit and unsure of what to think of all the recent events. His mood doesn't cheer up any, even when Circus invites him and Nai to help them with the next carnival. Nonetheless, he agrees to participate and everything goes fine until suddenly Yogi is asked to leave his position in the giant cat suit and look for a malfunctioning bunny robot. Gareki is forced to take his spot and begrudgingly wears the cat suit, but doesn't have nearly the same shiny disposition as the original. Once his shift is over, he joins the others in going to save Tsukumo from drowning, the danger courtesy of the malfunctioning bunny robot. While this doesn't seem to improve his mood at all, he's not exactly worse off for it. Despite the bad review they got for the carnival from Hirato, the next thing they're sent off on is a trip to an icy, snowy place called Rinoru.
[Personality] Considering his rather cruel and pretty relentless past, it's not a surprise that Gareki didn't end up the happiest individual in his town. To most people, he's probably more than a bit stand-offish and doesn't give a damn about what happens to them. If he can turn away a pretty scuffed-up kid in a mad house, it's pretty easy to assume that his compassion for others is rather lacking. Despite experiencing the same cruelty as a kid, strangers who're going through it don't mean a lot to him. Only when there's something that'd benefit him would he offer to lend a hand, seeing it as a business exchange of sorts. When he and other people have common goals, he's willing to create alliances, but he's not above selling them out to save his own skin. If he's not involved in a dangerous situation to begin with, even if other people's lives are at stake, he has no problem turning a blind eye to it.
Gareki admits that before he came in contact with Nai, he saw the world to be a dirty place above everything else. The way he grew up and when he was bullied as a kid, right after being sold by his own flesh and blood, didn't leave the greatest impression of people in Gareki's eyes. After seeing enough bloodshed and having one of the few people who honestly cared about him in the world taken away, he distanced himself from the people who cared about him, but still managed to stay in touch in the most roundabout way possible. Loss in general is something that he's gotten very used to, but still can't cope with very well.
Still, just putting distance in between him and the other people in his life doesn't mean that he doesn't care about them. In actuality, he cares for those people quite deeply, which is a great contrast in comparison for his passiveness to strangers. While he normally takes people in just to use them for his own ends, after a while (and if they're the right kind of person), he'll find himself caring about their wellbeing and not wanting to desert them quite as easily. In most cases, he'll even go so far as to put himself in harm's way in attempts to save or help that person. And if he's placed in a rather awkward situation with someone that he cares about, he'll snap out of frustration, since he knows what he wants to say, but not how to say it.
But that side of him is typically reserved for the people that he trusts or the ones that he cares for. To most, he would normally just come across as another kid on the street, living on his own and living a pretty shady life at that. He has a vague sense of manners, apologizing to someone if he runs into them on the street, but not above injuring someone or attempting to choke them if they cause him trouble, his relationship with Nai being the perfect example of that. It can be guessed that he doesn't like being openly portrayed as a bad person in a public setting though, easily being subdued by a crying child asking him a favor. (He performed the favor rather begrudgingly, but he still did it.)
[Specialties/Abilities] If there's something shady that needs to be done, Gareki can handle it and pull it off well. Picking locks? No sweat. Going undercover to infiltrate the enemy base? Child's play. Wielding a gun? No problem. Stealing said gun without being noticed or even put under suspicion? Even easier.
All in all, Gareki is capable of the same feats of any common thief, and then some. To pull off his heists, he can rig bombs around the area and set them off without getting hurt himself. It's not hard for him to pick up an item, determine it's value, and then run off with it if it's worth something either. Getting information for said heists is rather natural for him as well, so he can pull off model student behavior if it's to get the job done, or go in the completely opposite direction and act like a typical gang member. Deception seems to be something that he's good at, especially if he puts his mind to it.
And there are some little tricks that he managed all on his own, like being one hell of a sharp shooter. He kept a gun on his person at all times until Circus confiscated his, but even after a few days of not having it, his aim is still right on target. Although when he doesn't have it, he's not of much use in battle. He can survive a hit or two, but using a taser on him sends him to his knees, or tossing him up in the air with mechanical sheep tends to get him pretty dizzy. So physically, he ain't much.
He's also pretty good with technology and setting up little devices, showing his skill with the bomb on the train, classifying it and figuring out how it worked in a stressful environment. Setting up alarms and other mechanisms to sound off at the push of a button is pretty simple for him as well. Planning ahead is something that he's gotten accustomed to doing, and manages to follow through pretty well if things go according to plan.
[Affection] Gareki? Affection? ... it's really hard to see the two mixing well. If he won't accept a hug from a teary-eyed kid, it's hard to think of who he would accept one from? In the right moment, he'll probably be willing to suffer through it, although he won't be enjoying it. If it's a girl, he'll probably be more likely to endure, but if it's a guy (example A: Yogi), he'll probably yell and struggle. Possibly even curse and give a threat or two. So uh, mun says he's fair game, but his reaction will really depend on who they are.
As far as the idea of Gareki showing affection, it's not gonna happen. At least, probably. I mean... really. The most you'll get from him is words, and even then, it won't go farther than "I don't hate you." He really fails in this area, sorry.
[Fighting] Fight? Oh, sure. Gareki has no problem with a scuffle now and again, and can probably hold his own fairly well. That said, he's still a normal human and can be overpowered very easily if his opponent is anything more than a street punk like himself. At least, physically. Should he have a gun with him, he'll be a little bit harder to take down, since his aim isn't too shabby at all. I really have no problem with him losing more than a few battles though, since... it's to be expected. Poor Gareki, why so normal.
As for death... I'd really rather not? D: I adore the guy, and I imagine it won't be a pretty picture if he dies and leaves behind Nai a few people. But if it's called for in a plot, and ends up leading to something... I might be able to talked into it. But it'd have to be very convincing. XD
[Other Facts] He dislikes robotic sheep. That is all.
[Canon] Karneval
[Point Taken from Canon]
[Age] 15
[Gender] Male
[Sexual Orientation] .... honestly, it beats me. Chances are, he doesn't care about that sort of thing.
[Eye Color] Brown, I think.
[Hair Color] Black
[Height] 170 cm / 5'6"-ish
[Other] Nothing in specific comes to mind...
[Clothing] Click away!
-- typical clothes tend to involve a mix of pants, some sort of loose shirt, and a jacket. Jacket is normally zipped up unless he gives it off to Nai. He also seems to like having goggles on his person, and occasionally a hat.
[Background] Gareki's childhood is, for the most part, not a very happy one. He was sold by his parents, or rather who he assumes was his parents, when he was at the age of 8. After that, he was bought on board a transport ship, where many other people who were sold also stayed. Since they were all crowded in one room, some of the people started to bully the weaker ones. Despite not being weak, Gareki was the smallest one there, and was also bullied because of it. He realized at some point during the trip that they were putting something in the food, and more and more of the people were getting ill.
The ship eventually got caught in the storm, and he took that opportunity to escape. He fought against the waves and was lucky enough to reach shore. On a search for something to eat, he found that after a while he couldn't walk anymore. It was at that time that a kind woman by the name of Tsubaki found him. The reason that she couldn't leave him be was because that she also had two younger siblings, Tsubame and Yotaka who were the same age as him. There was a man who Tsubaki loved, and who also gave her the food to give to the twins, claiming that there were "nutrients" mixed in. This man was also taking care of their grandpa's hospitalization costs. They were very dependant on him.
Originally having grown in a very jaded environment, full of suffering where one has to strive for themselves, Gareki was very wary of this family that had come to accept him. It was Tsubaki that had named him and told him that now they were family. Even Tsubame and Yotaka came to eventually grow fond of Gareki, Tsubame especially worrying about his well-being. They became very much like a family, sometimes not starting to eat dinner until Gareki show up. It was their grandpa that introduced Gareki to mechanics, offering him some parts that he found from the junkyard to toy with. He grew used to the idea, and started to care about this family of his very much.
But apparently he wasn't allowed to be happy for too long, since the man who they all depended on chose to turn on them, even going so far as killing Tsubaki. He disappeared from their lives without a trace. Gareki made a silent promise to himself that, despite not knowing his name or face, he would kill the man who killed Tsubaki. Not too long after Tsubaki's death, Gareki left behind his family. Although he didn't completely abandon them, actually taking up stealing and thievery to take care of their grandpa's hospitalization costs. But he cut off ties of communication, not even welcoming Yotaka when he came to see him. After that, Gareki started to steal and sell the goods in exchange for money.
Gareki made his dynamic first entrance in the series in the most destructive, yet somewhat stylish, way ever: straight through the ceiling, complete with explosives and a big boom. He and a few people he knew were on a raid that night, and by Gareki's choice, they were raiding the manor of a lady named Mine. She claimed to be with Circus, but that didn't particularly bother him. He was just there for the money and treasures she'd managed to gather. Despite having a rather bewildered looking kid watching him glance through what was worthy of being stolen or not, he wasn't very fazed. After taking a quick inventory, he was about to leave, saying, "Right then. I'm leaving."
But the kid wouldn't let him have it so easy, wanting to go with him outside. It was simple enough to Gareki, and he could possibly use this kid. The bracelet he'd found, while taking anything valuable in sight, seemed to belong to this scrawny child, after all. In exchange for learning a bit more, he'd be willing to let the him out. Once the kid happily agreed, Gareki shot off (what I'm guessing was) the tracking bracelet off Nai's wrist with a gun. They went through some brief introductions, and Gareki learned that the kid's name was Nai.
While Gareki wanted a quick getaway, it seemed that fate had something against him that night. He ran into Mine, who had turned into a monster by then, and met up with one of his thieving partners before taking off yet again. Throwing a bomb in attempts to shake off the monster that was following them, they ran into a random room, running into yet another one of Gareki's partners. Unluckily for them, Mine managed to follow them and quickly went on the offensive, taking one of Gareki's helpers and starting to chew on the poor guy. Pulling out a gun and ready to shoot, Gareki's movements were suddenly stopped when he saw the corpse of a young girl. After a few moments of consideration, he grabbed Nai and started to run off, claiming that it was their chance.
They managed to get away, and Gareki had a bit of a philosophical moment before realizing that the small boy that was walking next to him had passed out. Begrudgingly, the thief dragged Nai back to where he was staying and made his best attempts to nurse him back to health. Returning from a food run, Gareki was less than pleased to notice that Nai had managed to get away. Suddenly, he was on a search for a kid that he barely even knew, and he was even less happy when he saw the wanted posters up with Nai's picture. Eventually their paths managed to cross, and Gareki took the time to strangle the poor kid as punishment, offering a lecture as well. As Nai tried to express that his intentions were only innocent and that he only wanted to see Karoku (the owner of the bracelet and Nai's "brother"), it rang a bit of nostalgia for Gareki, since Tsubaki only wanted to see the man she loved. He gave yet another lecture, saying that Nai is the type that dies fast, before instructing Nai to change clothes, so as to make sure he's not recognized. It is then that they decide on Gareki's next act of thievery to get Nai's bracelet back.
Posing as a curious student who wants to take a tour of the law enforcement building, Gareki intends on finding out a bit more information about the chief of security who stole Nai's bracelet. He gives the simple instructions to Nai that after five minutes, he should push a button that would trigger a bomb explosion. He fails to realize that Nai has absolutely no sense of time. An exhausting twenty minutes later, the explosion finally goes off and the security force dash to the scene. Taking this chance to dig a little deeper, Gareki is sure that no one would be returning any time. Things do not go as planned when the security chief returns, and Gareki scrambles to hide in a ventilation shaft. He catches a glimpse of some papers, going back to get Nai once he gets all his information.
He explains a quick run-down of the situation, telling Nai the basics about the world, concerning Circus, the Security Force, and that Karoku's bracelet is actually a Circus ID. Looking for more information from Nai, he asks about his background. Being told about the circumstances in which Karoku disappeared, Gareki starts to wonder of Karoku's even alive. Wondering about whether or not it's worth all this trouble, Gareki decides to just help out Nai, even if it's just because he doesn't want the chief of security to get his way. A plan is formulated then, where Gareki explains that the chief would be selling the bracelet off tomorrow, and that'd be when they're gonna take it back. The next step after that would be getting Nai to someplace else. Not wanting to be left along, Nai asks where Gareki would be going, since if he was gonna be alone, he'd get lonely. He adds the sugary statement that Gareki is a "nice person".
After a moment of brain lapse at the idea of being considered a nice person, Gareki does pretty much the opposite of what a genuinely nice person would do. Deciding to strike up a deal, he asks what compensation he'd get for following Nai around. He goes with the original plan and asks for the bracelet in exchange for taking care of Nai. When brought up with the challenge of the bracelet belonging to Karoku, Gareki says that Nai can just ask Karoku if he can give away the bracelet (whilst thinking to himself that it'd be the case scenario if Karoku's not dead). Nai agrees, and an awkward partnership of sorts is formed. Pulling off yet another disguise, this time pretending to be a gang member which isn't hard when he looks naturally scruffy , Gareki intercepts the chief and points him in the direction where the gang actually is. Revealing that he managed to get the bracelet back when he bumped into the chief, he decides to also leave a little parting gift for the chief. Previously having rigged the meeting place with alarms, he made it seem that the chief was planning on ratting the gang out to the security force.
Now that they're "on the run", no thanks to Nai, their next plan of action is to leave town. They haphazardly manage to get on the train, breathing a sigh of relief that they wouldn't have to wait half a day for the next one. Though it would've been smarter for them to wait, as that train was apparently hijacked and the stage for a kidnapping. There's a bit of a ruckus as someone enters the cart they're in from the ceiling. Drawing his gun in self-defense, Gareki is quickly taken down by the stranger, taking the gun as a sign of hostility. It's only when he sees Nai's boarding ticket does he realize the mistake that occurred. The stranger proceeds to take out any of the others on the train, who are all kidnappers who are in control of the train.
Once the way is cleared for them, Nai runs ahead with Gareki following. They make it to the front, where they find out the train is being controlled by a bunch of people with a grudge against a man who boarded the train, taking the man's niece and another girl hostage as well. Gareki turns, planning on heading to the back so that they don't have to deal with it, but his plans are foiled as Nai enters the room. Bullets fly and Gareki quickly goes to the rescue, dragging the smaller boy back out to the rear cars. They're being chased, but their pursuers are quickly thrown off (quite literally) by the other girl who was being held hostage. Just before one of the back cars is blown off from an explosive, Nai pulls the girl and Gareki away from it. Quickly deciphering the situation, Gareki figures that the sounds Nai must've heard were the explosives on the train, and that the entire thing is probably rigged with bombs.
Hearing the actu scenario from the man who entered via the ceiling, Gareki does his best to put two and two together. He drags the man who had been helping them out and Nai along to try to find out where the bombs are and try to diffuse them. Nai manages to locate the bomb, and they manage an opening, which is where Gareki does his best to figure out how the bomb works and diffuse it. He figures out the mechanics of it and proposes how to deal with the situation. The man fixes the situation by disconnecting the cart they're in from the back carts entirely, which stops the signal that is emitting from the detonator. They manage to arrive at the next town without any other obstacles, and despite the instructions from the man that Gareki calls "phony four eyes" that they should stay in one place, Gareki insists that they leave since the Security Force is around and Nai is still a wanted criminal.
After more information gathering, they find out that the town they entered is currently preparing for a festival, since some raids recently occurred to apprehend some criminals. In exchange, Circus prepare a city-wide party for all the citizens so they aren't frightened. They make a plan for how Nai is going to address Circus and ask about Karoku, where basically Gareki does all the talking, and head out that same day. It's a simple search in the beginning, while Gareki does his best to make sure Nai doesn't wander off, which is no easy job. However, when Gareki is conned (by tears and wailing) to grab a kid's balloon that wrapped around a lamp post, the two are separated yet again. Their reunion isn't too much later, where Nai is again punished for wandering off.
The two make their way towards the plaza where Circus is, with Gareki leading the way. However he's struck by a taser and is left immobile as the men try to take Nai away. Their knight in shining armor comes in the form of a guy in a cat suit who uses candy bars as his substitute for throwing stars. The guy reveals to be Circus Lieutenant Yogi, and he sends the two men off running. Apparently Circus was looking for Nai and Gareki, and this curious Yogi fellow then whisks them away to the Circus ship. It's there that the situation is explained to them, and it's also revealed that the girl and "phony four-eyes" they met on the train were a part of Circus. They're asked a number of things, such as about the lady they met named Mine, and given a run-through about what Circus agents do and how they combat the monsters who have been transformed from humans. The man, who introduced himself as Hirato, says that if any of Mine's blood got on Gareki, he'd be in danger so it's suggested that Gareki stay with them. Nai's situation is also resolved, and the two are welcome to stay with Circus for the time being.
They all begin to relax on board the ship, but Gareki still isn't entirely convinced. He wanders off on his own, curious about where he is, and begins to head towards some off-limits areas. He's stopped by one of the robotic sheep on board the Circus ship, but continues to walk on nonetheless. Eventually multiple sheep crowd around him and start dragging him away from the off-limits area … via bouncing and tossing. The others who were looking for him catch up to him and save him from his cruel, dizzying fate. This begins Gareki's vendetta against black robotic sheep.
Once having regained his equilibrium, Gareki attempts to leave the ship once he sees that it's landed. While he's distracted well enough with dinner, it's not long before Yogi suggests a game of hide-and-seek. Needless to say, things go awry as Nai gets lost yet again and they have to go and save him. He gets into a bit of trouble with yet another weirdo like Mine, but it's easier to deal with since they actually have Circus members to lend a hand. All goes well when they return to the Circus ship until Nai suddenly goes unconscious with a headache. They take him to the ship's doctor, who Gareki unsurprisingly has an argument with.
When Nai wakes up, Gareki is rather relieved. However this somewhat touching moment quickly disperses as Nai pushes him away, saying "I don't need Gareki". Despite trying to be understanding, Gareki is only annoyed more and makes an attempt to leave but Nai chases after him, putting Karoku's bracelet in his coat pocket. Clearly angered at the notion, Gareki leaves the room and slams the door. He goes to take out his anger on poor Yogi, speaking to him in a rather threatening voice, passing on the information that Nai is awake and that they should go get the doctor. His mood still not improved, the two go to find the doctor, only stumbling upon him and Hirato as the doctor claims that Nai is actually an animal called the Niji. As disturbing as the information in, Gareki is rather convinced as he sees the actual data derived from the tests. Thinking about how he'd been helping Nai, he's rather embarrassed about how his actions must've looked. He ignores Tsukumo's attempts at helping and tells her to leave him alone.
Later, he addresses Nai about the situation, while still trying to figure out what's going on. He's still pretty confused about what to think of Nai, not sure whether to consider him to be a kid or an animal. He snaps at Nai and tries to be patient enough to listen to the whole story, as to why Nai tried to push him away so suddenly. Hearing about Nai's nightmare, and how Karoku was the one who told him to say those things, Gareki starts to wonder exactly what Nai's relationship to Karoku is and what's going on between the two. Nonetheless, Gareki comes to a conclusion and apologizes, also admitting that he doesn't actually hate Nai. He decides to stick around a little longer, not only because he wants to meet Karoku and admits that he doesn't plan on breaking at all.
Nai and Gareki are then told that they need to take examinations later on, which Nai happily agrees to. The procedure goes normally, and Gareki is told that apparently everything is normal about him except his personality. More so, nothing entered his bloodstream from his encounter with Mine. As Nai and Gareki return to their room, Nai points out where he used to live, the Niji Forest. Gareki recognizes it since it is just a bit north of the town he used to live in (and also where he met Nai). He starts thinking to himself about his hometown, before admitting to Nai that their travels have only improved the way that he thinks and makes him see the world a bit lighter in comparison to how he did before. Once Nai returns Gareki's philosophical words with a compliment of sorts, Gareki gets flustered and insists on going to bed. Later on when the doctor gives Nai an opportunity to run away, Nai says that he wants to go visit the Niji Forest so he can learn more. While Gareki protests, Yogi manages to keep him from attacking Nai.
On their next order of business, they go to the Niji Forest just as Nai wishes. Gareki follows his typical baby-sitting duties and makes sure that Nai doesn't wander around. Once having wandered farther into the forest, they're attacked by some monsters and Yogi chooses then to take action and makes an attempt to protect them. After Nai runs out into the field, Gareki goes after him and ends up getting caught up in the fight. He's undamaged for the most part, and is begrudgingly carried back to where Nai is by Iva, another member of Circus who arrived to end the battle. He's taken out for the rest of the expedition so that he can recuperate back at the Circus ship.
Before they even leave the Niji Forest, Gareki already starts making demands. He says that he needs to stop by Karasuna, his hometown. Somehow, he manages to get permission to go, with Nai and Yogi tagging along. Shortly after their arrival, a young girl approaches them, and Gareki recognizes her as Tsubame. He asks why she called for him, and she says that it's because she killed someone and doesn't know what to do. After Tsubame leads them to where she stays with her twin brother, Yotaka, Gareki asks for the details of what happened to her. She says that she doesn't remember what happens, but she wakes up covered in blood and dead people surrounding her. Yotaka interrupts then, rudely talking to Gareki before Tsubame directs the Gareki and the others to the vacant houses across the street.
Just as they're about ready to settle to sleep, Yogi asks Gareki how he knows Tsubame and Yotaka. Gareki then chooses to tell the story of his past, concerning Tsubaki, Yotaka, and Tsubame. Yogi offers him a hug, which he promptly denies, but Nai chimes in saying that Gareki shouldn't kill Yogi. Annoyed, and probably a bit flustered, Gareki tells them to shut up and then goes to sleep. He's awakened later on by Yogi as they notice Tsubame rushing off. They run after her and eventually find a transformed Yotaka at a murder scene.
Yotaka attacks Yogi and Gareki heads off with Nai in a search for safety. Eventually he leaves the boy behind to return to help out Yotaka, not wanting the boy to die. He manages to make it to the scene, and Nai makes his reappearance with Tsubame and some creepy guy. Gareki proceeds to kick the man in the hand, before the guy goes off on a rant, explaining Yotaka's situation. Apparently the twins had taken special nutrients in their food as children, which altered their DNA to become monsters. Yotaka started taking Tsubame's share after a while so that they could continue to get the money, self-sacrificing for his sister and family. Unsurprisingly, Gareki is angered by this and proceeds to attack the man before being knocked away. When the man gives Yotaka the command to kill everyone, the boy surprisingly manages to gather enough will power to refuse. But instead, he pleads for Gareki to end his life so he won't have to hurt anyone anymore. While Gareki hesitates, Hirato enters the scene, swiping one of Yogi's swords to stab Yotaka in the chest. Everyone's shocked by the man's sudden appearance, but Yotaka still manages to give his sad farewell to his sister before his body disperses into the air.
The area clears out once Hirato gives chase as the man who gave the twins the nutrients runs away. Gareki doesn't shed a tear, but Nai seems to think that he's crying on the inside. Things turn to chaos once Tsubame suddenly begs Gareki to take her life as well, now that everyone who she loved is gone. Tsubaki had died, her grandfather didn't remember her, Gareki had left her, and now Yotaka had died as well. When Gareki tries to convince her to regain her will to live, she says that there's really no need, she's not even needed to pay for her grandfather's hospitalization fees since the nurse told her that someone else was taking care of it. A light appears in the distance, and that signifies that Hirato had killed the man who Gareki had sworn a vendetta against. Despite having the man who killed Tsubaki dead, Gareki isn't sure if he's entirely satisfied, although he can't quite pinpoint the reason why. As the Circus executives return, they ask Tsubame to go with them. Gareki stops them from taking her away and tells her that she's not alone, since the type of person she is will always draw people to be around her. She gives him one last guilt trip about how he left them alone, and how they ended up so lonely, before she's led away.
So Gareki is forced to leave his hometown with a fallen spirit and unsure of what to think of all the recent events. His mood doesn't cheer up any, even when Circus invites him and Nai to help them with the next carnival. Nonetheless, he agrees to participate and everything goes fine until suddenly Yogi is asked to leave his position in the giant cat suit and look for a malfunctioning bunny robot. Gareki is forced to take his spot and begrudgingly wears the cat suit, but doesn't have nearly the same shiny disposition as the original. Once his shift is over, he joins the others in going to save Tsukumo from drowning, the danger courtesy of the malfunctioning bunny robot. While this doesn't seem to improve his mood at all, he's not exactly worse off for it. Despite the bad review they got for the carnival from Hirato, the next thing they're sent off on is a trip to an icy, snowy place called Rinoru.
[Personality] Considering his rather cruel and pretty relentless past, it's not a surprise that Gareki didn't end up the happiest individual in his town. To most people, he's probably more than a bit stand-offish and doesn't give a damn about what happens to them. If he can turn away a pretty scuffed-up kid in a mad house, it's pretty easy to assume that his compassion for others is rather lacking. Despite experiencing the same cruelty as a kid, strangers who're going through it don't mean a lot to him. Only when there's something that'd benefit him would he offer to lend a hand, seeing it as a business exchange of sorts. When he and other people have common goals, he's willing to create alliances, but he's not above selling them out to save his own skin. If he's not involved in a dangerous situation to begin with, even if other people's lives are at stake, he has no problem turning a blind eye to it.
Gareki admits that before he came in contact with Nai, he saw the world to be a dirty place above everything else. The way he grew up and when he was bullied as a kid, right after being sold by his own flesh and blood, didn't leave the greatest impression of people in Gareki's eyes. After seeing enough bloodshed and having one of the few people who honestly cared about him in the world taken away, he distanced himself from the people who cared about him, but still managed to stay in touch in the most roundabout way possible. Loss in general is something that he's gotten very used to, but still can't cope with very well.
Still, just putting distance in between him and the other people in his life doesn't mean that he doesn't care about them. In actuality, he cares for those people quite deeply, which is a great contrast in comparison for his passiveness to strangers. While he normally takes people in just to use them for his own ends, after a while (and if they're the right kind of person), he'll find himself caring about their wellbeing and not wanting to desert them quite as easily. In most cases, he'll even go so far as to put himself in harm's way in attempts to save or help that person. And if he's placed in a rather awkward situation with someone that he cares about, he'll snap out of frustration, since he knows what he wants to say, but not how to say it.
But that side of him is typically reserved for the people that he trusts or the ones that he cares for. To most, he would normally just come across as another kid on the street, living on his own and living a pretty shady life at that. He has a vague sense of manners, apologizing to someone if he runs into them on the street, but not above injuring someone or attempting to choke them if they cause him trouble, his relationship with Nai being the perfect example of that. It can be guessed that he doesn't like being openly portrayed as a bad person in a public setting though, easily being subdued by a crying child asking him a favor. (He performed the favor rather begrudgingly, but he still did it.)
[Specialties/Abilities] If there's something shady that needs to be done, Gareki can handle it and pull it off well. Picking locks? No sweat. Going undercover to infiltrate the enemy base? Child's play. Wielding a gun? No problem. Stealing said gun without being noticed or even put under suspicion? Even easier.
All in all, Gareki is capable of the same feats of any common thief, and then some. To pull off his heists, he can rig bombs around the area and set them off without getting hurt himself. It's not hard for him to pick up an item, determine it's value, and then run off with it if it's worth something either. Getting information for said heists is rather natural for him as well, so he can pull off model student behavior if it's to get the job done, or go in the completely opposite direction and act like a typical gang member. Deception seems to be something that he's good at, especially if he puts his mind to it.
And there are some little tricks that he managed all on his own, like being one hell of a sharp shooter. He kept a gun on his person at all times until Circus confiscated his, but even after a few days of not having it, his aim is still right on target. Although when he doesn't have it, he's not of much use in battle. He can survive a hit or two, but using a taser on him sends him to his knees, or tossing him up in the air with mechanical sheep tends to get him pretty dizzy. So physically, he ain't much.
He's also pretty good with technology and setting up little devices, showing his skill with the bomb on the train, classifying it and figuring out how it worked in a stressful environment. Setting up alarms and other mechanisms to sound off at the push of a button is pretty simple for him as well. Planning ahead is something that he's gotten accustomed to doing, and manages to follow through pretty well if things go according to plan.
[Affection] Gareki? Affection? ... it's really hard to see the two mixing well. If he won't accept a hug from a teary-eyed kid, it's hard to think of who he would accept one from? In the right moment, he'll probably be willing to suffer through it, although he won't be enjoying it. If it's a girl, he'll probably be more likely to endure, but if it's a guy (example A: Yogi), he'll probably yell and struggle. Possibly even curse and give a threat or two. So uh, mun says he's fair game, but his reaction will really depend on who they are.
As far as the idea of Gareki showing affection, it's not gonna happen. At least, probably. I mean... really. The most you'll get from him is words, and even then, it won't go farther than "I don't hate you." He really fails in this area, sorry.
[Fighting] Fight? Oh, sure. Gareki has no problem with a scuffle now and again, and can probably hold his own fairly well. That said, he's still a normal human and can be overpowered very easily if his opponent is anything more than a street punk like himself. At least, physically. Should he have a gun with him, he'll be a little bit harder to take down, since his aim isn't too shabby at all. I really have no problem with him losing more than a few battles though, since... it's to be expected. Poor Gareki, why so normal.
As for death... I'd really rather not? D: I adore the guy, and I imagine it won't be a pretty picture if he dies and leaves behind Nai a few people. But if it's called for in a plot, and ends up leading to something... I might be able to talked into it. But it'd have to be very convincing. XD
[Other Facts] He dislikes robotic sheep. That is all.