Clay

"Maybe this isn't where I grew up, but it's my home now, dammit."

- Clay, on why he fights Phobias

Clay is a student at Kiri Academy in Kirijomachi, and is also one of the first Parody-users in the town. He has seemingly not given up anything to unlock the power to wield Parodies - a trait which he investigates during voyages into Reverberations. He is the field leader of R.I.F.T. and one of the founding members.

Appearance
Clay is a gray Popopo with electric yellow but tidy hair, usually hidden under a cap, and stormcloud-colored eyes. When exploring Reverberations, he carries his weapon of choice - the blunt but certainly dangerous Kiri Iaito - in a sheath at his back.

Abilities
As a Light-elemental, Clay is capable of channeling shining light into his attacks, making him especially capable of dispelling darkness and blinding foes during combat. He is also a natural expert at channeling Parodies, and is capable of actively summoning them in battle and channeling their power into his own physical attacks. For example, by channeling his initial Parody - Amaterasu, a Fire/Angel elemental - in battle, Clay can perform flaming slash attacks that cut through stronger enemies, or revive his fallen allies. He can also summon Amaterasu herself to attack with a flaming knife.

Backstory
Clay spent most of his life prior to becoming a Parody-user in Jeitia, in the future of a timeline where calamity and the need for adventurers were both a lot less common. He had a passion for swordfighting, and quickly rose to captain of his school's kendo team. However, he fell into the wrong crowd shortly after, and their shenanigans almost got him and his younger sister killed. While recovering, he and his family decided that he needed to get away from the familiar faces for a while, so they moved to Kirijomachi with the hopes that the town will offer a new and unique start.

Personality
Clay is calm and serious nearly all of the time. He has a slight sense of humor and is capable of taking breaks when necessary, but after the incident that almost killed him and Alisa he takes his decisions a bit too seriously. He is passionate about his kendo skills, practicing every day even when his injuries prevented it in hopes that it will aid him in protecting those that he loves.

Theme
(Original Video)

Cordula
Clay and Cordula are rather close, as the Halcandran was the first friend Clay made at Kiri Academy. The two manage to balance each others' habits well, with Cordula convincing Clay to loosen up when he's working himself to exhaustion and Clay spurring Cordula on to actually do some work for once.

Trivia

 * Clay is heavily inspired by the nameless protagonist of Persona 4.
 * His appearance - most visibly, his hairstyle and color scheme - draw from the male protagonist's hairstyle and color.
 * His serious and businesslike attitude may be partially inspired by how silent protagonists are... well, silent, and lack a sense of humor of their own.
 * His initial Parody, Amaterasu, is comparable to the protagonist's initial Parody, Izanagi, in that they are both inspired by Japanese mythology, they are both incredibly influential deities, and they both specialize in physical techniques.