Short and scrawny. He has messy red hair that's stuck up at all angles. He keeps it out of his eyes with a white bandana. Typically he wears a black long sleeve and an apron around his waist. His eyes are green and he is always walking around with a cocky smirk. His clothes are covered in food stains and the distinct smell of hot cooking oil lingers on him.
Personality:Hotaru is fiery and sensitive. He is constantly seeking other people's approval and he gets really emotional when he either doesn't receive it or gets criticism he wasn't expecting. He wants people to like him and will defend people he considers his friends, even if they are people he only just met. Some people might even consider him a suckup or a brownnoser as he tries to ingratiate himself in groups by getting chummy with the higher ups.
Hotaru is self-sacrificing to a fault. He will constantly do without so others can have a little more. Sometimes this can lead to self-destructive behaviours such as going days without eating or getting involved in things he shouldn't be getting involved with (such the Bulwark Breakers).
Underneath his brash, hot-blooded facade is a genuinely kind-hearted person who cares about the well-being of others and wants nothing more than to feed the hungry bellies of those in the Collar.
History:Hotaru was an orphan living in the Guts. When he was five he was traded by his parents to a pair of cooks in the markets who raised him from then on. To this day he still doesn't understand why his parents abandoned him, though given the circumstances he was probably traded for a pair of meals. Though he wasn't abused he wasn't treated well either, being told to handle sharp objects and hot substances frome age five and onward. His body is covered in several burn marks from spilling hot oil. This of course was all training for when he would eventually take over the cooks' kitchen.
The cooks themselves, called the Hajimes, are a popular food stand in the Guts, but are talked about in hushed tones. They cook meals in their secret kitchen and send them out to customers in the community. Whatever doesn't get sold they give out to the hungry. The quality of the Hajimes' food is some of the "best" that can be found in the Guts, which isn't saying a lot. The best way to describe it would be palatable and a little spicy. Rumours about the Hajimes' food are abound. Some say they buy food directly from Security in exchange for information on gang whereabouts. According to more insidious rumours some say their food is made from people. The truth Hotaru himself is unsure. He admired the Hajimes but noted that they didn't open up emotionally very often and mostly kept to themselves. Growing up he was forbidden to ever enter their living space and the storeroom was only nearly empty on a handful of occasions.
It was during his off hours that Hotaru discovered Duel Monsters and started collecting whatever cards he could find in the garbage. Occasionally he was given a few commons or a rare as a tip when making food deliveries. He felt a special connection to FIRE attributed monsters and has worked hard building a deck around them. He recognizes the power Dueling has over people. Those in the Core get fat off the labour of their dueling. To Hotaru this is a great injustice. Those with the power to feed others should do so. That's why Hotaru is trying to join the Bulwark Breakers; so he can start feeding the hungry.