Kino "needs help reacting to something" (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
onlyatraveler) wrote2017-08-24 10:14 pm
onlyatraveler) wrote2017-08-24 10:14 pm
Application: Last Eden
OOC INFORMATION.
PLAYER NAME: Alex
CONTACT:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
novaphase
CHARACTERS ALREADY IN-GAME: N/A
IC INFORMATION.
CHARACTER NAME: Kino
CANON: Kino no Tabi
CANON POINT: Post-series*
** Note: Kino no Tabi encompasses a short anime based on a much more expansive collection of light novels, as well as visual novels and other media. The story is told episodically and out of order, so canon-point's a little weird. I will be interpreting information for the portrayal of this character from several of these.
AGE: Unspecified; approximately early- or mid-teens
HISTORY: The country that Kino was born into has no official name, though it was construed as the “Land of True Adults.” In this country, any person underneath the age of 12 is considered to be a “child,” and once they turn 12, that child undergoes an operation which turns them into what is called a “true adult.” While it is said in this country that the Operation allows people to fulfill the roles they were meant to since their birth, in truth it surgically removes a part of the brain which drives personal goals and ambitions. Therefore people are able to work the jobs their parents worked, even if they are jobs that they despise or take issue with, without complaint.
It’s three days before a young girl’s twelfth birthday, when she will receive the Operation, when a young man by the name of Kino arrives in the country. This Kino is a traveler — a person without a country to call home who travels from place to place. Travelers are a rare sight in this country. The girl offers a room at her parents’ inn to the traveler, an offer which he accepts graciously. At this time, the child was called by a name which, in their later words, “I can honestly no longer remember […] I do remember that it was the name of a flower, and if you changed the sound just a little bit, it became a terrible insult.” The girl reluctantly introduces herself to the traveler and takes him to her parents’ inn. The girl’s parents disapprove of the traveler, but they rent him a room. They do not speak to the girl because, as is custom, they do not speak to any child during their “final week” before their Operation unless the child directly asks them a question first.
The girl gets to know the traveler as he works to “heal” a broken-down motorrad (a motorcycle) and is fascinated by his ways. He claims that he is an adult, but he never had the Operation — how could that be? She’s confused at how he decided himself to become a traveler and go on a journey simply because he wanted to. After thinking on all of this for a day, the girl approaches her parents and tells them, “I don’t want to have an operation to become an adult. Is there any other way to grow up? A way to become an adult and stay myself?” She is immediately berated and dragged out into the street, where all the ‘true adults’ gather to ridicule her. The traveler named Kino comes too, about to leave on the motorrad that he had healed (and he and the girl together had named Hermes). The girl’s father turns to the traveler and blames him for putting these ideas in his daughter’s head. A village elder steps in to mediate, telling the traveler to leave immediately, which Kino agrees to.
At the same time, however, the girl’s father approaches her with a kitchen knife as the townspeople, the village elder, and Kino watch on. He deems the child a “failure,” which he, as her parent, is allowed to dispose of. He charges forward to kill the stunned child, but Kino steps in the way and takes the mortal blow in her stead. While the gathered crowd decide what to do about this “unfortunate accident,” the motorrad speaks to the terrified child. “Can you ride a bicycle?” The girl answers in the affirmative and the motorrad convinces her to escape with her life. She does so, leaping aboard the motorrad and, with his coaching, barely escapes the country with her life.
The girl falls off of the motorrad a safe distance outside of the country, shocked with what happened and unsure what to do next. Hermes speaks to her, asking who she is. She murmurs, “Kino,” not answering but instead thinking of the stranger who sacrificed himself to save her life. Hermes mistakes this name as the girl’s own and calls her by it. At first, she is startled and confused; to correct him, she “started to say [her] name, but that name was no longer [hers]. That was the name of a child who’d lived in that village […] who believed you had to have an operation when you turned twelve to become a ‘true adult.’ That child had died today, or perhaps she had merely grown up all on her own. In any event, she no longer existed.” In that moment, the child discards that former self, affirms their name as Kino, dons the long coat that the first Kino had worn, and sets off on an aimless journey with the motorrad named Hermes.
After this prologue, the stories of Kino no Tabi are presented non-linearly and in a way which makes the timeline very vague. Most of the stories are episodic with little lasting impact other than the tale, but there are a few exceptions.
Soon into their adventure, Kino and Hermes come across an older woman they came to know only as “Master.” They stayed with Master for quite some time, where she taught Kino close-quarters combat, marksmanship, hunting, and survival skills. How long they stayed with Master is not exactly clear, but it was long enough for Kino to become an extremely competent and dangerous fighter. Eventually the two run away without telling Master, taking with them supplies and a revolver by the name of Cannon. They mention every once in a while how much trouble they’d be in if they ever ran into Master again.
There are other small things worth mentioning, like when Kino was given the semi-automatic weapon “Woodsman” by a persuader-smith in a particularly kind country, or when Kino killed the king of a particularly rotten country and found a strange friendship with a man named Shizu and his talking dog Riku. But, because of the scattered way in which the story is told, these are of little consequence. Presently in the story, Kino and Hermes continue to travel to countries of all different kinds. They never stay longer than three days because, as the first Kino said, “three days is all that’s necessary to get a good feel of a country, and staying too long prevents one from seeing even more.”
PERSONALITY: The most important aspect of Kino’s personality is their true neutral nature. Though Kino did not start out with a mindset such as this, experiencing terrible things happening in the world due to the laws and order of certain countries (such as the Operation which would rob them of their free will in the country they were born into) and the chaos and anarchy of others (such as when Kino’s life was threatened by a man who was “king” of a country which had executed all of its citizens) has caused them to adopt such a belief system. When coupled with Kino’s status as a traveler, it shapes the character into one which travels, witnesses, remembers, and philosophizes over what they have seen. For the most part, Kino does not interfere in the affairs of the countries they visit. In the very first episode of the anime/first chapter of the first novel, they visit a country where a man confides in Kino that the people of that country will one day die out and it will become empty. Kino simply thanks him for the history and leaves. Kino harbors no desire to right any moral “wrongs” they encounter (since often those “wrongs” are simply a traveler’s insight into a country versus the opinions of the people who live there) or cause any trouble. Kino has also imposed a limit of staying only three days in any given country (due to something the first Kino told them before he died), so Kino is aware of how much or how little they could do in a given country before they would have to leave.
This neutrality influences how Kino views people individually and as a whole. The traveler tends to not judge the morality of those they encounter, instead only reacting if they immediately pose harm to either themself or Hermes. How Kino views humanity as a whole, however, is very interesting. There is one particular story where Kino is hunting in the winter to get food for three starving men that they came across. Kino wonders why they decide to take the lives of the rabbits that they hunted to feed the people rather than letting the humans die so the rabbits didn’t have to. At first, Kino thinks it’s because that they were human as well and because they would appreciate the gesture being returned should Kino have fallen into a similar situation. Kino rethinks this, however, when it turns out that the people that they had saved were slavers and they attempted to take Kino captive after they had regained their strength. After killing them, Kino thinks of the rabbits that they had killed. After then, Kino swore not to think of the life of a human as anything more than the life of a rabbit.
Though Kino is an extremely neutral character and usually does not interfere in the affairs of others (as previously stated), they do have a sense of morality which surfaces every once in a while. Kino tends to stand against those who terrorize people who cannot defend themselves, especially travelers. The most important example of this was Kino’s experiences in the coliseum country. This particular country was ruled by a hedonistic king who killed is predecessor to take over. Once he did, he ruled that all travelers who visited the country would be forced to fight in coliseum fights—the one that won would be granted the privilege of upper class citizenship. Though Kino had the opportunity to kill the guards and leave, or to surrender in a coliseum fight and leave, but Kino chooses to fight. At first Kino claims it’s because they were bored and wanted to stay their three days in the country, but later Kino shows to bear a grudge against the terrible king of the country. In the end, Kino kills that king and reduces the country to anarchy. To a lesser degree, Kino judges the country which preserved its “peace” with a neighboring country by making a contest of killing the people who lived between them. Though Kino doesn’t necessarily overthrow that country, they speak very harshly of their decisions before leaving. In this way, Kino has varying levels of retaliation when faced with truly grotesque situations that they encounter in the various countries they visit, though they are relatively rare.
As a traveler, Kino visits many new places and meets new people, and they remember each very well. Because of this considerable repository of anecdotes and stories, Kino is often called upon by strangers to recount stories. Every time this occurs, Kino assures the stranger that they are not a good storyteller, as they are a traveler. Yet, Kino will still share stories of the places they have been, perhaps as a testament to the experience and the people they had met. In addition to this, Kino often will recount the stories of places that they have visited, discussing them with Hermes and extracting whatever philosophical lessons and observations they can. Kino’s mind often is like one of a philosopher, treating each and every situation and circumstance like something to learn from.
In these travelers, Kino is a staunch loner, deciding to travel with Hermes and no one else. At several points along the journey, Kino meets different people who show interest in joining them. In one story, several humanoid robots ask Kino if they want them to join on the journey, stating that they would serve Kino and help with all menial tasks. Kino refuses. In another story, Kino meets with a young boy who desperately pleads with Kino to allow him to join them on the journey. Again, Kino refuses. Kino’s journey is a solitary one, and this repeats through the story, even though the character enjoys the company of kind strangers when visiting countries.
Kino seems to truly believe that the person that they are as a traveler is completely different than the person they used to be, the young girl who was the daughter of innkeepers in the country of true adults. This is extremely evident from the quote previously used in the requisite section of history, when Kino thinks that that girl had “died today, or perhaps had merely grown up on her own.” Also, when Kino meets a young girl who reminds them of their past self, they remark that she “reminds them of a girl they once knew.” There’s a true schism between these two selves, these two personas that Kino has inhabited in their life, though there is no fluctuation between them (Kino views that their past self is well and truly in the past).
Kino’s relationship with gender is interesting and very worth exploring and explaining. After Kino took on their name and began traveling, and after they trained under Master and left, they took on both a more masculine way of dressing and speaking (as, in the Japanese, Kino addresses themself with the first person pronoun boku, which is most commonly used by boys). In the series, strangers who encounter Kino will often take them for either a boy or a girl, and if ever addressed with a term which tends towards one or the other, Kino will usually correct them with something like, “Just Kino is fine.” Due to the intentional obfuscation of Kino’s gender (it is not revealed officially until the fourth episode in the anime) and the gender-neutral way it is handled in the language of the novels, this journal will personally use gender-neutral “they/them” singular pronouns for the character. A more detailed note on this decision is posted here in the journal.
All of this information influences who Kino is, but it’s also important to say what Kino is, which is a traveler. Ever since meeting the original Kino, witnessing his mortal sacrifice for them, and embarking on their journey, Kino has only once ever wavered in their quest to discover more of the world they live in. This was in the country that they refer to as “the kind country,” one which was especially kind to them and reminded them somewhat of the good aspects of the country in which they were born. They were forced to leave that country after three days, however, and it was destroyed subsequently—after that, Kino resolved never to falter again. Still, the journey is the most important thing to Kino as well as what Kino derives meaning for their life from. Even though some of the countries Kino visits are terrible, and the circumstances they produce require Kino to do terrible things (and doubt themself horribly because of them), the allure of discovery is far too enticing. The best way to further expound this is a quote of Kino’s own:
“Sometimes I feel like I may be just some hapless idiot or small-minded person drifting along. Maybe I’m just a horrible and selfish human being. I really don’t know what it is, Hermes. Sometimes things just happen. But at those times, I find the world beautiful — its unpredictability always reminds me of how much I love it. So I guess, even when something [terrible] like this happens, I still look forward to the next encounter or discovery.”
As for Hermes’ personality, that’s a little simpler because he’s not the driving force of the entire series (even though the’s the one that allows it to move from place to place). Hermes is technically younger that Kino, not seeming to remember anything from what he might have done before the first Kino healed him in Kino’s birth country. Despite being, in every inch, just a normal motorcycle, he speaks in the voice of a young boy.
In many ways, Hermes is naive; he doesn’t seem to have the head for philosophy that Kino does, often poking and prodding at the wondering traveler to hear more of what they think, though Hermes rarely has much to contribute. Still, he’s very keen in other ways. Hermes is excellent at learning and understanding things like mathematics and physics (which Kino certainly is not). Hermes’ grasp on language isn’t quite up to par, however; his running gag is that he often mars common turns of phrase and idioms (Kino will be quick to correct him). In conversation, Hermes usually doesn’t have the manners that Kino does—his speech is far more direct and sometimes extremely sarcastic. The two of them both contribute evenly to conversation as well; Hermes is more out-going, but Kino is necessary to reign him in when he gets close to saying something he shouldn’t. Hermes often acts as the voice of the machine elements in a story; he criticizes a story once because the motorrad in it “didn’t play as much of a role as he could,” and often remarks on the way technology is used more so than Kino would.
The partnership between Kino and Hermes is vital to both of them—neither of them have been apart from the other for very long at all since the beginning of their journey. They prevent one another from becoming lonely as well as help find meaning from their journey together.
ABILITIES: Kino has no supernatural powers or abilities.
Kino does, however, have quite a few skills. Perhaps the first and most readily-recognized is an extensive knowledge of driving, especially motorcycles. Kino has been traveling with Hermes for years and has become extremely capable during that time. Kino has also shown high aptitude at riding horses.
Kino is also extremely skilled at gunplay and close-quarters combat. Kino regularly performs feats of incredible marksmanship, once shooting a link on a chain so a weapon would be rendered useless and another time shooting an oncoming weapon so that the bullet broke the weapon but also ricocheted to kill its wielder. Kino also has an incredibly quick draw of either of their guns, something which is practiced each and every morning. Kino is recognized by Hermes as a fourth-rank black belt, and Kino has been known to be able to disarm and cripple enemies in a short amount of time. Kino can also perform incredible evasive maneuvers to avoid injury. Even a character swift enough to deflect bullets with his sword praised Kino for their quickness. Kino also has extremely extensive knowledge of weaponry and machines, often knowing a weapon’s capability and capacity at a single glance (though this is limited to guns which fire bullets). This knowledge also applies to the maintenance of guns and vehicles; while not a specialist, Kino has enough knowledge to keep their guns and Hermes running in all types of situations.
Another factor which makes Kino a very daunting opponent is their capability for calm and rational decision-making. Kino never allows emotion to cloud their judgment. In nearly every confrontation, Kino finds a strategic way to defeat their (usually much bigger) opponents.
As for Hermes, he doesn’t have any particular abilities besides being a talking motorcycle. He requires fuel and regular maintenance or he will break down. He does, however, have a very good head for mechanics and mathematics and can quickly understand new principles of each (one example was that Hermes could tell an inventor that her idea for an airplane would work after only seeing the plans and hearing the theory behind it).
INVENTORY: Clothing worn (white shirt, pants, underclothes, black leather jacket, leather boots, heavy belt with multiple attached satchels, gloves, scarf, tan overcoat, pilot’s hat, and goggles), a semiautomatic persuader (gun) holstered on the back of the belt (named “Woodsman,” it uses .22 bullets in a magazine and has relatively low destructive force but low recoil as well; also comes with a red laser sight), and a revolver holstered on the right thigh (named “Cannon,” it uses .44 caliber bullets and is capable of great damage but has a single-action hammer and each of the six chambers must be manually reloaded with liquid explosive after being shot). Kino also carries a collapsable hunting rifle, complete with silencer and scope, which is called “Flute.” Kino carries a myriad of knives: one folding knife in a jacket pocket, another switchblade in a pocket at the belt, one double-edged blade in each sleeve, and one thin dagger hidden in each boot. Kino also carries one particular 15 centimeter-long blade sheathed at their belt behind their back; this one has a mechanism in the hilt that can fire one three-bullet barrage aided by a red laser sight.
In addition to the clothing and weapons, Kino has one motorrad (sentient, talking motorcycle) named Hermes equipped with a chrome carrier and storage bins, one duffel bag containing travel essentials (extra clothing, bedding, water, emergency rations, portable stove with fuel, etc.), as well as other various items (sniper scope, compass, ammunition and things necessary for maintenance of guns, etc.).
FACTION: Spring! The vast grasslands and countryside is very similar to the home Kino comes from, so they would enjoy traveling and learning more about the people there. I also think it'll be really fun to introduce them to spirits, and then perhaps to the unrest in the government (though Kino would prefer remain neutral but... we will see).
OBJECTIVES: As previously stated in Kino's personality, they are determinedly neutral in most situations. Though they will be interested in returning to their own world, the opportunity to travel such a strange world will be something Kino will not be able to give up. So their first objective will be to travel, observe, and learn about the world. Their only other objective will be to survive comfortably (and, fortunately, they're used to doing odd jobs to earn such a thing). For me, however, getting them embroiled into things (despite what they would prefer, but this happens in the canon, so...) will be my priority! I also enjoy getting them attached to people and places, as it is not something they do in canon.
ANYTHING ELSE: I have written a note on my pronoun usage for Kino, to preempt any questions. Regardless, enjoy this cute kid:
SAMPLE.
Here's one!
PLAYER NAME: Alex
CONTACT:
CHARACTERS ALREADY IN-GAME: N/A
IC INFORMATION.
CHARACTER NAME: Kino
CANON: Kino no Tabi
CANON POINT: Post-series*
** Note: Kino no Tabi encompasses a short anime based on a much more expansive collection of light novels, as well as visual novels and other media. The story is told episodically and out of order, so canon-point's a little weird. I will be interpreting information for the portrayal of this character from several of these.
AGE: Unspecified; approximately early- or mid-teens
HISTORY: The country that Kino was born into has no official name, though it was construed as the “Land of True Adults.” In this country, any person underneath the age of 12 is considered to be a “child,” and once they turn 12, that child undergoes an operation which turns them into what is called a “true adult.” While it is said in this country that the Operation allows people to fulfill the roles they were meant to since their birth, in truth it surgically removes a part of the brain which drives personal goals and ambitions. Therefore people are able to work the jobs their parents worked, even if they are jobs that they despise or take issue with, without complaint.
It’s three days before a young girl’s twelfth birthday, when she will receive the Operation, when a young man by the name of Kino arrives in the country. This Kino is a traveler — a person without a country to call home who travels from place to place. Travelers are a rare sight in this country. The girl offers a room at her parents’ inn to the traveler, an offer which he accepts graciously. At this time, the child was called by a name which, in their later words, “I can honestly no longer remember […] I do remember that it was the name of a flower, and if you changed the sound just a little bit, it became a terrible insult.” The girl reluctantly introduces herself to the traveler and takes him to her parents’ inn. The girl’s parents disapprove of the traveler, but they rent him a room. They do not speak to the girl because, as is custom, they do not speak to any child during their “final week” before their Operation unless the child directly asks them a question first.
The girl gets to know the traveler as he works to “heal” a broken-down motorrad (a motorcycle) and is fascinated by his ways. He claims that he is an adult, but he never had the Operation — how could that be? She’s confused at how he decided himself to become a traveler and go on a journey simply because he wanted to. After thinking on all of this for a day, the girl approaches her parents and tells them, “I don’t want to have an operation to become an adult. Is there any other way to grow up? A way to become an adult and stay myself?” She is immediately berated and dragged out into the street, where all the ‘true adults’ gather to ridicule her. The traveler named Kino comes too, about to leave on the motorrad that he had healed (and he and the girl together had named Hermes). The girl’s father turns to the traveler and blames him for putting these ideas in his daughter’s head. A village elder steps in to mediate, telling the traveler to leave immediately, which Kino agrees to.
At the same time, however, the girl’s father approaches her with a kitchen knife as the townspeople, the village elder, and Kino watch on. He deems the child a “failure,” which he, as her parent, is allowed to dispose of. He charges forward to kill the stunned child, but Kino steps in the way and takes the mortal blow in her stead. While the gathered crowd decide what to do about this “unfortunate accident,” the motorrad speaks to the terrified child. “Can you ride a bicycle?” The girl answers in the affirmative and the motorrad convinces her to escape with her life. She does so, leaping aboard the motorrad and, with his coaching, barely escapes the country with her life.
The girl falls off of the motorrad a safe distance outside of the country, shocked with what happened and unsure what to do next. Hermes speaks to her, asking who she is. She murmurs, “Kino,” not answering but instead thinking of the stranger who sacrificed himself to save her life. Hermes mistakes this name as the girl’s own and calls her by it. At first, she is startled and confused; to correct him, she “started to say [her] name, but that name was no longer [hers]. That was the name of a child who’d lived in that village […] who believed you had to have an operation when you turned twelve to become a ‘true adult.’ That child had died today, or perhaps she had merely grown up all on her own. In any event, she no longer existed.” In that moment, the child discards that former self, affirms their name as Kino, dons the long coat that the first Kino had worn, and sets off on an aimless journey with the motorrad named Hermes.
After this prologue, the stories of Kino no Tabi are presented non-linearly and in a way which makes the timeline very vague. Most of the stories are episodic with little lasting impact other than the tale, but there are a few exceptions.
Soon into their adventure, Kino and Hermes come across an older woman they came to know only as “Master.” They stayed with Master for quite some time, where she taught Kino close-quarters combat, marksmanship, hunting, and survival skills. How long they stayed with Master is not exactly clear, but it was long enough for Kino to become an extremely competent and dangerous fighter. Eventually the two run away without telling Master, taking with them supplies and a revolver by the name of Cannon. They mention every once in a while how much trouble they’d be in if they ever ran into Master again.
There are other small things worth mentioning, like when Kino was given the semi-automatic weapon “Woodsman” by a persuader-smith in a particularly kind country, or when Kino killed the king of a particularly rotten country and found a strange friendship with a man named Shizu and his talking dog Riku. But, because of the scattered way in which the story is told, these are of little consequence. Presently in the story, Kino and Hermes continue to travel to countries of all different kinds. They never stay longer than three days because, as the first Kino said, “three days is all that’s necessary to get a good feel of a country, and staying too long prevents one from seeing even more.”
PERSONALITY: The most important aspect of Kino’s personality is their true neutral nature. Though Kino did not start out with a mindset such as this, experiencing terrible things happening in the world due to the laws and order of certain countries (such as the Operation which would rob them of their free will in the country they were born into) and the chaos and anarchy of others (such as when Kino’s life was threatened by a man who was “king” of a country which had executed all of its citizens) has caused them to adopt such a belief system. When coupled with Kino’s status as a traveler, it shapes the character into one which travels, witnesses, remembers, and philosophizes over what they have seen. For the most part, Kino does not interfere in the affairs of the countries they visit. In the very first episode of the anime/first chapter of the first novel, they visit a country where a man confides in Kino that the people of that country will one day die out and it will become empty. Kino simply thanks him for the history and leaves. Kino harbors no desire to right any moral “wrongs” they encounter (since often those “wrongs” are simply a traveler’s insight into a country versus the opinions of the people who live there) or cause any trouble. Kino has also imposed a limit of staying only three days in any given country (due to something the first Kino told them before he died), so Kino is aware of how much or how little they could do in a given country before they would have to leave.
This neutrality influences how Kino views people individually and as a whole. The traveler tends to not judge the morality of those they encounter, instead only reacting if they immediately pose harm to either themself or Hermes. How Kino views humanity as a whole, however, is very interesting. There is one particular story where Kino is hunting in the winter to get food for three starving men that they came across. Kino wonders why they decide to take the lives of the rabbits that they hunted to feed the people rather than letting the humans die so the rabbits didn’t have to. At first, Kino thinks it’s because that they were human as well and because they would appreciate the gesture being returned should Kino have fallen into a similar situation. Kino rethinks this, however, when it turns out that the people that they had saved were slavers and they attempted to take Kino captive after they had regained their strength. After killing them, Kino thinks of the rabbits that they had killed. After then, Kino swore not to think of the life of a human as anything more than the life of a rabbit.
Though Kino is an extremely neutral character and usually does not interfere in the affairs of others (as previously stated), they do have a sense of morality which surfaces every once in a while. Kino tends to stand against those who terrorize people who cannot defend themselves, especially travelers. The most important example of this was Kino’s experiences in the coliseum country. This particular country was ruled by a hedonistic king who killed is predecessor to take over. Once he did, he ruled that all travelers who visited the country would be forced to fight in coliseum fights—the one that won would be granted the privilege of upper class citizenship. Though Kino had the opportunity to kill the guards and leave, or to surrender in a coliseum fight and leave, but Kino chooses to fight. At first Kino claims it’s because they were bored and wanted to stay their three days in the country, but later Kino shows to bear a grudge against the terrible king of the country. In the end, Kino kills that king and reduces the country to anarchy. To a lesser degree, Kino judges the country which preserved its “peace” with a neighboring country by making a contest of killing the people who lived between them. Though Kino doesn’t necessarily overthrow that country, they speak very harshly of their decisions before leaving. In this way, Kino has varying levels of retaliation when faced with truly grotesque situations that they encounter in the various countries they visit, though they are relatively rare.
As a traveler, Kino visits many new places and meets new people, and they remember each very well. Because of this considerable repository of anecdotes and stories, Kino is often called upon by strangers to recount stories. Every time this occurs, Kino assures the stranger that they are not a good storyteller, as they are a traveler. Yet, Kino will still share stories of the places they have been, perhaps as a testament to the experience and the people they had met. In addition to this, Kino often will recount the stories of places that they have visited, discussing them with Hermes and extracting whatever philosophical lessons and observations they can. Kino’s mind often is like one of a philosopher, treating each and every situation and circumstance like something to learn from.
In these travelers, Kino is a staunch loner, deciding to travel with Hermes and no one else. At several points along the journey, Kino meets different people who show interest in joining them. In one story, several humanoid robots ask Kino if they want them to join on the journey, stating that they would serve Kino and help with all menial tasks. Kino refuses. In another story, Kino meets with a young boy who desperately pleads with Kino to allow him to join them on the journey. Again, Kino refuses. Kino’s journey is a solitary one, and this repeats through the story, even though the character enjoys the company of kind strangers when visiting countries.
Kino seems to truly believe that the person that they are as a traveler is completely different than the person they used to be, the young girl who was the daughter of innkeepers in the country of true adults. This is extremely evident from the quote previously used in the requisite section of history, when Kino thinks that that girl had “died today, or perhaps had merely grown up on her own.” Also, when Kino meets a young girl who reminds them of their past self, they remark that she “reminds them of a girl they once knew.” There’s a true schism between these two selves, these two personas that Kino has inhabited in their life, though there is no fluctuation between them (Kino views that their past self is well and truly in the past).
Kino’s relationship with gender is interesting and very worth exploring and explaining. After Kino took on their name and began traveling, and after they trained under Master and left, they took on both a more masculine way of dressing and speaking (as, in the Japanese, Kino addresses themself with the first person pronoun boku, which is most commonly used by boys). In the series, strangers who encounter Kino will often take them for either a boy or a girl, and if ever addressed with a term which tends towards one or the other, Kino will usually correct them with something like, “Just Kino is fine.” Due to the intentional obfuscation of Kino’s gender (it is not revealed officially until the fourth episode in the anime) and the gender-neutral way it is handled in the language of the novels, this journal will personally use gender-neutral “they/them” singular pronouns for the character. A more detailed note on this decision is posted here in the journal.
All of this information influences who Kino is, but it’s also important to say what Kino is, which is a traveler. Ever since meeting the original Kino, witnessing his mortal sacrifice for them, and embarking on their journey, Kino has only once ever wavered in their quest to discover more of the world they live in. This was in the country that they refer to as “the kind country,” one which was especially kind to them and reminded them somewhat of the good aspects of the country in which they were born. They were forced to leave that country after three days, however, and it was destroyed subsequently—after that, Kino resolved never to falter again. Still, the journey is the most important thing to Kino as well as what Kino derives meaning for their life from. Even though some of the countries Kino visits are terrible, and the circumstances they produce require Kino to do terrible things (and doubt themself horribly because of them), the allure of discovery is far too enticing. The best way to further expound this is a quote of Kino’s own:
“Sometimes I feel like I may be just some hapless idiot or small-minded person drifting along. Maybe I’m just a horrible and selfish human being. I really don’t know what it is, Hermes. Sometimes things just happen. But at those times, I find the world beautiful — its unpredictability always reminds me of how much I love it. So I guess, even when something [terrible] like this happens, I still look forward to the next encounter or discovery.”
As for Hermes’ personality, that’s a little simpler because he’s not the driving force of the entire series (even though the’s the one that allows it to move from place to place). Hermes is technically younger that Kino, not seeming to remember anything from what he might have done before the first Kino healed him in Kino’s birth country. Despite being, in every inch, just a normal motorcycle, he speaks in the voice of a young boy.
In many ways, Hermes is naive; he doesn’t seem to have the head for philosophy that Kino does, often poking and prodding at the wondering traveler to hear more of what they think, though Hermes rarely has much to contribute. Still, he’s very keen in other ways. Hermes is excellent at learning and understanding things like mathematics and physics (which Kino certainly is not). Hermes’ grasp on language isn’t quite up to par, however; his running gag is that he often mars common turns of phrase and idioms (Kino will be quick to correct him). In conversation, Hermes usually doesn’t have the manners that Kino does—his speech is far more direct and sometimes extremely sarcastic. The two of them both contribute evenly to conversation as well; Hermes is more out-going, but Kino is necessary to reign him in when he gets close to saying something he shouldn’t. Hermes often acts as the voice of the machine elements in a story; he criticizes a story once because the motorrad in it “didn’t play as much of a role as he could,” and often remarks on the way technology is used more so than Kino would.
The partnership between Kino and Hermes is vital to both of them—neither of them have been apart from the other for very long at all since the beginning of their journey. They prevent one another from becoming lonely as well as help find meaning from their journey together.
ABILITIES: Kino has no supernatural powers or abilities.
Kino does, however, have quite a few skills. Perhaps the first and most readily-recognized is an extensive knowledge of driving, especially motorcycles. Kino has been traveling with Hermes for years and has become extremely capable during that time. Kino has also shown high aptitude at riding horses.
Kino is also extremely skilled at gunplay and close-quarters combat. Kino regularly performs feats of incredible marksmanship, once shooting a link on a chain so a weapon would be rendered useless and another time shooting an oncoming weapon so that the bullet broke the weapon but also ricocheted to kill its wielder. Kino also has an incredibly quick draw of either of their guns, something which is practiced each and every morning. Kino is recognized by Hermes as a fourth-rank black belt, and Kino has been known to be able to disarm and cripple enemies in a short amount of time. Kino can also perform incredible evasive maneuvers to avoid injury. Even a character swift enough to deflect bullets with his sword praised Kino for their quickness. Kino also has extremely extensive knowledge of weaponry and machines, often knowing a weapon’s capability and capacity at a single glance (though this is limited to guns which fire bullets). This knowledge also applies to the maintenance of guns and vehicles; while not a specialist, Kino has enough knowledge to keep their guns and Hermes running in all types of situations.
Another factor which makes Kino a very daunting opponent is their capability for calm and rational decision-making. Kino never allows emotion to cloud their judgment. In nearly every confrontation, Kino finds a strategic way to defeat their (usually much bigger) opponents.
As for Hermes, he doesn’t have any particular abilities besides being a talking motorcycle. He requires fuel and regular maintenance or he will break down. He does, however, have a very good head for mechanics and mathematics and can quickly understand new principles of each (one example was that Hermes could tell an inventor that her idea for an airplane would work after only seeing the plans and hearing the theory behind it).
INVENTORY: Clothing worn (white shirt, pants, underclothes, black leather jacket, leather boots, heavy belt with multiple attached satchels, gloves, scarf, tan overcoat, pilot’s hat, and goggles), a semiautomatic persuader (gun) holstered on the back of the belt (named “Woodsman,” it uses .22 bullets in a magazine and has relatively low destructive force but low recoil as well; also comes with a red laser sight), and a revolver holstered on the right thigh (named “Cannon,” it uses .44 caliber bullets and is capable of great damage but has a single-action hammer and each of the six chambers must be manually reloaded with liquid explosive after being shot). Kino also carries a collapsable hunting rifle, complete with silencer and scope, which is called “Flute.” Kino carries a myriad of knives: one folding knife in a jacket pocket, another switchblade in a pocket at the belt, one double-edged blade in each sleeve, and one thin dagger hidden in each boot. Kino also carries one particular 15 centimeter-long blade sheathed at their belt behind their back; this one has a mechanism in the hilt that can fire one three-bullet barrage aided by a red laser sight.
In addition to the clothing and weapons, Kino has one motorrad (sentient, talking motorcycle) named Hermes equipped with a chrome carrier and storage bins, one duffel bag containing travel essentials (extra clothing, bedding, water, emergency rations, portable stove with fuel, etc.), as well as other various items (sniper scope, compass, ammunition and things necessary for maintenance of guns, etc.).
FACTION: Spring! The vast grasslands and countryside is very similar to the home Kino comes from, so they would enjoy traveling and learning more about the people there. I also think it'll be really fun to introduce them to spirits, and then perhaps to the unrest in the government (though Kino would prefer remain neutral but... we will see).
OBJECTIVES: As previously stated in Kino's personality, they are determinedly neutral in most situations. Though they will be interested in returning to their own world, the opportunity to travel such a strange world will be something Kino will not be able to give up. So their first objective will be to travel, observe, and learn about the world. Their only other objective will be to survive comfortably (and, fortunately, they're used to doing odd jobs to earn such a thing). For me, however, getting them embroiled into things (despite what they would prefer, but this happens in the canon, so...) will be my priority! I also enjoy getting them attached to people and places, as it is not something they do in canon.
ANYTHING ELSE: I have written a note on my pronoun usage for Kino, to preempt any questions. Regardless, enjoy this cute kid:
SAMPLE.
Here's one!