(no subject)
NAME: Pan
JOURNAL: diremuta
EMAIL: clockworkninde@gmail.com
AIM: clockwork ninde
WIKI NAME: tauchpanzer
CHARACTERS: Yuki Nagato - bogusmagic
CHARACTER NAME: Kuchiha
FANDOM: Amatsuki
CANON: End of Chapter 18.
WHAT THEY LOST: The ability to cook. Not because she's some super fantastic chef, but because she's a total glutton and being unable to make even rice will force her to rely on the castle ghosts or other people. The former will be difficult for her due to her distrust of demons/spirits, and the latter because she's antisocial and closed off (and also because her bottomless stomach embarrasses her). Either way she'll have to trust complete strangers, something she doesn't do easily.
ABOUT THE CHARACTER: Kuchiha was not born into a pleasant family. With no siblings and a mother and father who died before she was old enough to remember their faces, she was raised by her grandfather until he passed away when she was ten. This left her alone, and forced to have to care for herself, which she did poorly. The rest of the village shunned her due to her lineage - her lineage was 'cursed' to be possessed by inugami, or demon dog gods. This is the case with Kuchiha, and the hatred of this possession was so strong even within her own family that the reason her grandfather gave her that name (essentially 'fading petals') was because he hoped she would be the last of the bloodline.
While still a child living alone in her family's rundown home, a young boy named Kanzou appeared, claiming to be a Shirachigo - a servant to the demon dog god. Despite Kuchiha being mute at the time Kanzou had no problems understanding her, and took care of her for an unknown period of time. However, this ended on the day that Kanzou left to find a place where Kuchiha would belong. She wandered off, and was found by the demon exterminator and fake monk, Shamon. She ends up living with him through adolesence at his temple, and at the age of sixteen meets Kon Shinonome, a modern highschooler who was sucked through some kind of crazy time vortex. The two become friends who argue constantly. Two years later she meets Tokidoki, another highschooler who ended up in Edo due to time travel shenanigans. With Toki's arrival the manga properly begins!
At first Kuchiha is reluctant to befriend him, due to her own introversion and her hatred of optimistic people. However, an incident with a drunken samurai reveals that Kuchiha is cursed, and to try and keep the samurai from spreading this around (which would likely lead to Kuchiha's execution) Toki and Kon pretend to be demons to scare him into keeping silent. This doesn't work so well, and ends with a government official in charge of demon hunting, Tadajiro Sasaki, to visit Shamon's temple. Toki admits to causing the ruse and, as "punishment", Sasaki orders Toki on a babysitting job. Kon and Kuchiha accompany him, and after some more shenanigans and falling into a redirection trap the three end up at the Sakigami shrine, where it's revealed that Kuchiha's possessed nature triggered the trap. The three are attacked by priestesses of the shrine and Kuchiha's dog god briefly makes an appearance before being bound by Tokidoki. Following this is a proper audience with the High Priestess, Ginshu, who states that Tokidoki is actually the Blank Page, a person who is not bound by the net of fate, with powers equal to god's. He will play a vital role in the war between humans, demons and Heaven.
After this exposition and the group learning that Ginshu was cursed by a snake demon, Kuchiha and Toki (as well as several other characters but not Kon) head off to Nihonbashi to find a way to break the curse.
Kuchiha's a very tough and decisive girl thanks to her rough life, acting very much like a stray dog. She's defensive towards virtually everyone except Shamon, though she doesn't hesitate to pummel him like she does Kon and occasionally Toki. In addition to being physically violent, she can be verbally abrasive towards people; the most common way this manifests is by calling someone stupid or weird, or flat-out arguing with them. She'll even argue with a child if she gets worked up enough. The main reason for this is because she has an inherent distrust of people and almost constantly keeps her guard up around them. Having come from a life in which people despised her outright - even throwing rocks at her - this distrust and her tough exterior in general was a shield necessary for her survival. As an adult she's still regarded as suspicious by many people, despite the fact that she knows and travels with the person they consider the savior of humans.
Behind this exterior, Kuchiha hates herself. Before Toki began to get through to her she fully believed she was tainted and cursed and doomed to live a miserable existence. More than anything she desperately wants to live a normal life, but her experiences have rooted her in pessimism; before Toki she never believed that to be possible.
Speaking of Toki! He's an important guy in her life. When they first met Kuchiha hated him for his optimism; she perceived him as being weak and never having lived through any real hardship. Hating all people who fit that mold, she was quick to tell him off and only tolerate him because Shamon asked her to. Her opinion of Toki only changes after she sees how, despite his easy life, he's still willing to stand up for anyone and even risk his life for them. This is exactly what he does for her twice, and because of this and the fact that he states outright that he sees her as a normal, cute girl, she eventually comes around and admits that underneath his easygoing, weak exterior he's actually quite kind and strong. He seems to be the first person ever to push past her abrasiveness and treat her as a normal, equal friend, and in return she begins to open up to him - a major development in terms of her trusting other people. Toki continues to help her, such as telling her that it's alright to talk about her worries. In that context Kuchiha was actually worrying about Kon getting into trouble because, as he had stayed behind at the shrine while they went to Nihonbashi, she wouldn't be able to keep an eye on him. So despite her and Kon constantly arguing and her prickliness in general, when she does care about people she can get protective and concerned about their wellbeing, though she tries hard not to show it.
So Kuchiha isn't all temper. It's even possible for her to show respect. Unhealthy, unnatural amounts of respect, in the case of priests. This is because of Shamon's influence and his foster father role in her life. She literally sparkles at the thought of seeing the cherry blossoms bloom with Shamon, and even tells Kon off at one point for not taking the Western philosopher Rousseau seriously, after she mistakenly believes him to be a wandering priest. Though, she isn't very big on philosophical ramblings or deep questions, preferring to work off uncertainty instead of dwelling and pondering it.
Something else Kuchiha is terrible with is anything girly, romantic or sexual. Being more of a tomboy she tends to get uncomfortable or flustered when faced with any of these things, even if it's just a joke. In one scene Toki compliments Tsuruume and Shinshu's kimonos, while Kuchiha hangs around in the background gradually getting more and more uncomfortable. The group announces they're going to eat breakfast is the breaking point for her and she runs off, bringing up something else that embarasses her - her bottomless stomach. She's a complete glutton and this thoroughly embarasses her, causing her to snap at anyone who jokes about it (usually Kon).
Finally, like many other citizens of Japan, Kuchiha holds a deep hatred of demons. Despite being possessed by one she considers them her enemy and won't hesitate to fight one, however terrifying it might be. The Inugami inside of her, however, is extremely possessive of Kuchiha. With Kuchiha unable to control it, it pushes anyone who tries to get close to her away, with the sole exception being Shamon. It shares Kuchiha's quick temper, and has a tendency to be very smug.