ＲＥＡＤＹ？

Player Info:
Name: Airi
Timezone: EST
Contact: moveslikejaeger @ plurk

Character Info:
Name: Tsubomi Kido
Age: 16
AU/PG/CANON/OC: Kagerou Project ; technically all versions of canon are still canon so it's useless to say manga novel or anime, since they're all just different routes in the same story.

Key Points:

• Kido is born the second daughter of a business man, though she is illegitimate.


• Her father's business fails and he burns down their house, and everyone in it on August 15th or a particular year.


• Kido and her sister were trapped in the Kagerou (Heat Haze) Daze in an endless loop of the day they died until Kido was chosen by the Snake of Concealing Eyes and brought back to life.


• Growing up in an orphanage alongside Seto and Kano (who all experienced death, the Daze, resurrection and eye powers) she didn't know how to control her abilities and often feared disappearing.


• Eventually, the trio was adopted by the Tateyama family, who were researching a myth related to the Daze. The kids were often taken care of their biological daughter, Ayano, who taught them not to be afraid of their powers.


• Their adoptive parents were killed in a landslide and brought into the Daze--only Kenjirou returned. With his wish to revive his wife, the snake possessing him formulated a plan to gather the snakes together and revive her--which posed danger to Kido and her brothers.


• Ayano, who was the person closest to all of them, killed herself by jumping from the roof of her school. After they realized their home was unsafe, the trio left.


• Kido took over as leader after Ayano's death, and the Mekakushi-dan (as they called themselves), comprised of people who are also possessed by snakes, gained more members, especially during one particular summer.


• On August 15th of this particular summer, members of the Mekakushi-dan are killed, causing one of the children to reset time in order to try to save them. They are currently trapped in this loop.

History:

Tsubomi Kido always wanted to disappear. An illegitimate child of a wealthy man, people always treated her differently from her older sister, a legitimate daughter. When she was a child her father's business failed, causing him to set his home ablaze with his family trapped inside. Everyone died in the fire, including Kido and her sister, however the pair were transported to the Daze, where they lived out the day of their death innumerable times until the Snake of Concealing Eyes chose Kido. She was resurrected, possessed by the snake, with the power to hide in plain sight. This makes her essentially undetectable to those around her unless she's touched. When her power is activated, her eyes, normally grey, turn red.

Kido ended up living in an orphanage alongside two children who had experienced similar situations and also had powers, Kousuke Seto and Shuuya Kano. Her uncontrolled power worried Kido, and she feared one day she'd really disappear. The three were outcasts due to their powers and problems socializing, and kept very close to each other. However, after being adopted into the Tateyama family and the kind treatment Ayano, their adopted sister gave them, they gradually got better. They each learned to control their powers well and began to see themselves as more than the monsters they assumed they were. Ayano began the Mekakushi-dan and gave the three the sweatshirts--including the one Kido still wears. It was Ayano who taught them that red--like the color their eyes turned--was the color of heroes. Seto also eventually found Marry and brought her to stay with them, expanding to four members.

Kenjirou and Ayaka Tateyama were interested in the powers the children had, and their relation to a myth about the medusae. However, while researching the myth, they were killed in a landslide on August 15th, and after experiencing the Daze himself, Kenjirou was resurrected possessed by another snake. However, unlike the snakes possessing the children, his snake poisoned his mind and he began to formulate a plan that would unite all of the powered snakes, sacrificing a pair of Kenjirou's students, and possibly the trio to do it. Ayano became aware of this plan.

When the trio was fourteen, Ayano killed herself by jumping off a building, and no one had any idea why. Soon after, the dan moved out of the Tateyama house and began to live on their own. Kido took on the mantle of leader after Ayano's death, becoming #1 of the Mekakushi-dan.

When the they were sixteen, they entered an endless time loop. On August 14th and 15th, they would meet new people who had experienced the Daze--Momo Kisaragi, Ene, Shintaro Kisaragi, Hibiya Amamiya and Konoha--and formed a friendship with them. By the end of the 15th, at least a one of the members would die, causing Marry to reset time to before the events that caused their death. None of the members of the dan have any recollection of these past time loops, but there are many.

In the Blindfold Code arc of the manga, for instance, Kido met Momo Kisaragi running from a crowd that was attracted to her by her eye power which called attention to her from everyone around. She brought Momo back to the hideout and explained the situation, only for an accident to cause them to need to visit the store, along with Kano and Marry. During the visit, patrons of the store were held hostage, including Momo's brother, Shintaro. Using their eye powers, they managed to outwit the terrorists, and the group celebrates by visiting an amusement park. Kido, it turns out, is terrified of roller coasters and haunted houses. At the end of the day, after having a good time, they're confronted by Konoha, possessed by the same snake that had once possessed Kenjirou. This Dark Konoha (Kuroha as known by the fandom) shoots Kano and Seto, leaving Kido distressed and helpless before he kills her as well. Shintaro and Momo are killed as well, before Marry resets time.

In other loops, different parts of the story are enacted, such as the attempted rescue of Hibiya and Hiyori, two children who die in a car accident with only Hibiya returning from the Daze, or befriending Konoha (who trashes the terrorists in an alternate loop). But no matter what, at the end of every timeline, at least one of Kido's friends is murdered by Kuroha and it becomes August 14th again.

Personality:

Kido puts a lot of effort into being strong, being reliable to her friends, and being the leader. But that's really what it is--the qualities aren't necessarily innate, she has to put effort into it. Kido has proven herself to be just as frightened, and often just as lost, as anyone else in the Mekakushi-dan, but she acts like she has it together because that's her job--because she is No. 1.

Kido's grand personal motivation is to disappear, to remain unnoticed, to avoid the discomfort she experienced as a child. Outside of her friends, she likes to be ignored for the most part, blending in with the crowd. Thanks to her eye ability, she is completely capable of making this literal, but it wasn't always such an easy ride. When she was young, she couldn't control it and her desire to hide from others became a fear of actually disappearing. For her dislike of the spotlight, however, Kido is the kind of person who wants to be reliable and responsible. She took on the mantle of the leader between her, Kano and Seto after Ayano's death. She desired to become stronger to be able to care for her adoptive brothers, and this determination is what pushed her into the role.

Kido's personality can come off as emotionless, rough or even cruel or angry to an outsider. As a child, her anger came out clear when someone she loved was hurt, making her somewhat scary to her brothers, though she loved them both dearly. Growing up, it's turned into more of an emotionless mask. She seems cool and distant, but in reality, Kido is afraid. When Seto ran away as a child and found Marry, her concern for both him and Ayano (who had worried to tears when he couldn't be found) came through angry texts and threats against his well being. Older, now, and having experienced amounts of loss that no human should ever have to experience, Kido's facade has faded from anger to apathy. When speaking with Konoha about the Daze, Kido admits that a child who entered and never exited can't be saved. It isn't that she doesn't want to save her, or that she isn't upset about Hiyori's death, but the fact that she has had to come to terms with the fact that sometimes there are things you just can't do as you are. Her emotionless facade isn't who she truly is--the loss of her friends, the death of those around her, still hurts her every bit as much as any other person. At the end of the Blindfold Code loop, she still clung to Kano's body as much as anyone would, and she was the first to truly react to his death. She's every bit as vulnerable as she doesn't want others to believe.

Kido is often frightened and uses music as a way to keep herself preoccupied, plugging headphones in when she went into a haunted house, which angered Shintaro a lot (she dragged him along because she was afraid to go in alone). Even though it was clear on the roller coaster she was absolutely terrified, she insisted to Kano that she was fine. Kano himself spends a great deal of canon harassing and teasing her, which lets out her violent side--he's very much her punching bag. He knows everything to say and do to get on her nerves, and she grows frazzled when things don't go according to plan. Though she's kind to those around her, the best way to know how close you are to her is the way she expresses herself around you--if she lets herself get angry or flustered or freaked out, or has any real emotional response on a regular basis, you've wormed your way into her heart.

Kido is more perceptive than she sometimes lets on, knowing exactly what to say to cheer Momo up when she finds her running from a crowd. And she knows Kano's illusions are sometimes harmful--she's perfectly content to him back to his true self by punching him in the gut. She's brutally honest with Seto, sometimes acting meaner or angrier than she really is because he used to be a woob who couldn't figure out they love him. She's kind to Marry, but doesn't necessarily coddle her. To Shintaro and Konoha, she's friendly and welcoming. This is where her efforts pay off--Kido doesn't have to pretend to be a good leader. She is one. She's not great at charging into battle, but she's good at keeping the dan together and caring for them. And that's what they need--everyone in the dan was affected by Ayano's death. Charging into battle was Ayano's greatest mistake, even if it does save them in the end. Kido won't do that. She won't put herself or others at risk needlessly, because she has lost everything. Her biological family, her adoptive mother, her adoptive father's love, and her adoptive sister. To put others through loss or lose others is not her prerogative. Kido is careful. She plays defense. That is something that requires no effort on her part. Kido cares deeply for those she lets in, no matter how rare they are, and above even her own comfort, she wants to keep them safe.

Gem Considerations:

White Sapphire. White sapphires represent strength of spirit, which Kido has in a terrible way. No matter how scared she was, Kido survived, she befriended others like her, and she took on the mantle of leader after Ayano's death. It also represents clarity, something Kido shows fairly often as a part of her facade. She doesn't let others see her uncertainty if she doesn't have to (KANO STOP). Sapphire brings the ability to overcome obstacles which Kido does time and time again, first in the loss of her family, then Ayano, then as the leader of the Mekakushi-dan (and also dealing with Kano oh my god Kano stop). The stone itself is good for calming and focus, two things Kido has to do often. They're also good for objectivity, fairness and selflessness, which are all important qualities in a leader. Sapphires themselves are for self-mastery, which Kido has proven in her ability to completely control her Concealing Eyes ability. Also they're clear, which fits in the invisibility theme.

Power considerations:

• intangibility ; the ability to pass through solid objects as a direct opposite to her canon power--in canon she can't be seen, but if she's touched the concealment breaks; making her able to be seen but able to not be touched would be an interesting reversal.


• weapon summoning ; in the form of a katana made from white sapphire, similar to her gem because it'll look cool but in reality it's kinda doofy and that's like kido's aesthetic.


• invisibility ; not a preferred first ability, but i'll take it if the other two are "nos." i just don't want her to be able to hide all the time.

Kido's power was always very singular in canon, meaning she can only do one thing: hide herself and others. Having new powers will be an interesting idea for her. And having powers that don't conceal her initially will concern her. However, IT'S BETTER THAN HAVING A CHARACTER WHO MAKES HERSELF INVISIBLE LITERALLY ALL THE TIME.

Sample: Test Drive Meme