They had lights inside their eyes, they had lights inside their eyes

tba

Applicant Info

◎ Name: Teru
◎ Journal: wishuponthenightskies
◎ Contact: wishuponthenightskies

Character Info

◎ Character's Name: Kaoru Kamiya
◎ Character's Canon: Rurouni Kenshin
◎ Character's Age: 17
◎ Canon Point: Chapter 83 While Misao and Kaoru discuss Kaoru's feelings for Kenshin
◎ Background/History: Wiki
◎ Is the character a hacker and/or do they have a sixth-sense? nope

◎ Personality: Kaoru is a bit of a mixed bag. Being the product of an idealist father, she inherits this almost naive view of how swords should be, though it's not necessarily a bad thing that she wants swords to be seen as a tool to protect rather than to kill. She is skilled with the sword she wields, even if she only aims to injure than take a life. She doesn't shy away from a fight, whether the odds are in her favor or not, and this is doubly so when there are personal feelings at stake.

While it is never stated what her parents were exactly like, there definitely is no argument against a troubled childhood on Kaoru's part. She loved her father deeply and surely feels the same for her mother, even if she is never mentioned within the series. She seems to have done well enough on her own as a young girl, even if she has made plenty of mistakes in trusting the wrong people and not always being able to care for her dojo with as much financial security as she would like to have. She makes due with what she has.

Kaoru is very dedicated to her beliefs and to doing the right thing. While she has many faults, she also has a good heart and pure beliefs that draw others to her. She is nurturing but also independent, even if it's obvious that she can be a bit too trusting in the beginning. When her dojo becomes threatened by her caretaker's henchmen she doesn't even see it coming until the last moment when they all come storming in. She also - somewhat begrudgingly - takes in Sanosuke when he states simply that he is going to live in the dojo from now on and also accepts guests frequently in her home. Though the dojo is small she tries her best to take great care of it financially and otherwise. It is her pride and joy.

Kaoru has a temper that can run hot or cold in any given moment. This is first seen right from the start of the manga when she goes charging through the streets with a bokken, despite knowing how dangerous he might be, to hunt down the person who claims himself to be the Hitokiri Battousai (actually Kenshin's moniker from his days in the Choushuu while fighting the war) and using her school's good name to commit atrocious acts - not the least of which being creating fear within the people of Tokyo. When she first meets Kenshin, after already deciding the first person she meets carrying a sword must be Hitokiri Battousai, she attacks him and demands he atone for "his" actions against her school.

She becomes jealous when Megumi or other women try to put their attention onto Kenshin, though she refuses to say that she has feelings for him for quite a while and also mentions not wanting to be in a relationship. It is the Kyoto arc that causes the largest shift in Kaoru's feelings towards him as she becomes depressed that he has left her behind, staying in bed and refusing to react with her usual brash violence when Yahiko tries to wake her up in the morning for breakfast. Megumi manages to snap her out of it and bring her back to her usual determined self, setting in motion her search for him at her current canon point with Yahiko at her side.

Several times throughout the series Kaoru is compared to a tanuki by Megumi and this seems to be their antagonistic way with one another in the beginning. Kaoru does not have the best view of her looks, given that she is rather tomboyish but still very feminine. She sees herself as plain and this is also driven further home by Yahiko's teasing and calling her ugly. Incidentally - mentioned in the wiki even - that Kaoru being compared to a tanuki has to do with the superstition that the tanuki has 8 disguises and talks about how she has the potential to be a beautiful woman. Her abilities in martial arts are something that is underestimated because she is a woman so there is a bit of a double hit to Kaoru's confidence in herself going off of that knowledge. Here is a girl who doesn't see herself as very pretty and knows that others think she is a fool for feeling the way she does about swordsmanship. It's a wonder self doubt didn't crush that sunny disposition long before.

Kaoru's skills as a swordsman outshine her skills as a woman and doing womanly duties expected of her in the era within which she is born. She is a terrible cook, though she is capable of cleaning and tries her best to dress rather nicely despite her lack of finances for a time. She doesn't take kindly to others mocking her culinary skills - or lack there of - and often reacts violently towards Yahiko when he teases her. She does lament on being lackluster at it compared to Kenshin as it is expected that a woman take care of the household and she is rather incapable of doing such. The two seem to divide up the chores with one another and Sanosuke now and again, though the latter would more likely break something with his fists to be sure.

Generally Kaoru has a strong relationship with her friends and companions. Misao and Yahiko are children whom she displays a maternal instinct with, even if Yahiko and she act more like siblings. She takes him into her home willingly and by the end of the manga he has become at least fifteen years old and so he seems to have solidified himself as her and Kenshin's starter child of sorts. She teaches Yahiko the techniques of her school, endowing him with life skills as well as those of the sword that he might need to get by in the world. Though their relationship tends to be more childish than mature, she still cares a great deal about him.

As stated previously - Kaoru becomes easily jealous of other women in Kenshin's life and Megumi was high on that list for quite a while until they became closer. Megumi was the first person to push Kaoru into seeking out Kenshin when he left for Kyoto and seems to be one of Kaoru's greatest supporters after Kenshin himself. She acts as a sister figure and even at times a motherly figure to the group as a whole and takes care of any medical needs they might have - which tends to be a lot if you think about the plot of the series being about samurai and fighting and the like. It should also be noted that - on the vein of other women in Kenshin's life - Kaoru currently has not learned about Tomoe at her canon point and thus it is not currently pivotal to her characterization. Though, just for reference it can be noted that they obviously did not have a relationship beyond their feelings for Kenshin. Near the end of the series, Kaoru goes with Kenshin to visit Tomoe's grave and it is there that the two of them convey their feelings to Tomoe.

Despite all of Kaoru's weird flaws and quirks, she is as strong as can be emotionally and physically for a woman of her age and in the time she is born into. She missed the terrifying era of war that preceded her but there were glimpses of it through out the series that threatened to bring those days back to Japan and she never once shudders in fear of them. She faces them with a headstrong determination and wish to see her friends safe and sound - Kenshin being the top of the list given his serious involvement in a lot of the issues throughout.
◎ Powers/Abilities: Kaoru has skills with a sword and, while they aren't nearly as sophisticated as Kenshin's own skill, she still holds her own rather well in a fight. The following techniques she uses are:

Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Tsuuka no Gedan Hiza Hijiki (Handle Attack, Knee Crush)

This involves her using the hilt of her sword to duck under a person’s attack and strike a vital point. For example she could duck under another's weapon and strike below in a vulnerable place such as the knee cap.

Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Succession Technique

Form 1: Ougi no Mamori Hadome - Kaoru crosses her arms and restrains the opponent’s sword within her grip.


Form 2: Ougi Hodome Hawatari: This technique involves Kaoru turning the opponent’s strength against them by twisting of her arms and causing them to fall to the ground by weight distribution and force.
◎ Weapons & Other Special Inventory: Bokken, day, night, and training clothes from the dojo - eastern preferred, hair ribbons of multiple colors

CEREALIA-Specific

◎ Element: Fire
◎ Sense: Sight - as a swordsman this is Kaoru's greatest asset. Without it she would be mostly unable to defend herself save for closer combat.
◎ Seven Character Traits: Stubborn Stubborn, and Stubborn Prideful Hot-headed Naive Compassionate Maternal Independent

Samples

◎ First-Person Sample: http://ioculus.dreamwidth.org/3446.html?thread=1040502#cmt1040502 (Cerealia Test Drive Meme)

◎ Third-Person Sample: N/A because I'm already in game? (however that works idek)

◎ Is your character retaining any previous game memories? Nope!