siren's pull | app information
Character Information
General
Canon Source: xxxHOLiC
Canon Format: Manga
Character's Name: Kimihiro Watanuki
Character's Age: 17-ish forever
What form will your character's NV take? Watanuki isn't one of the most gadget-savvy persons, and having lived through four years of not needing them has made him more lazy to learn about them. Indeed, he's even said that cellphone mail conversations are a pain, and he's left that part of communication to Mokona.
Having said that, his NV will likely be in the form similar to the l33t pod [LP] he had on Salkia or an iPod touch, complete with an extremely user-friendly interface. Its casing color will be crimson, and at the back there will be a single black butterfly print.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities:
Chapter 193 largely hints that we may see more ability development for Watanuki since his power, other than the talent for seeing spirits, was sealed away for his protection. Once his powers appear/are explained in canon, I may do a canon update or a canon review for him. For now, I'll go with the latent ability route, which includes the recognition of magical objects, and being able to appear in the dream world at will, though he has been warned that doing too much of the latter will be dangerous. He will still retain the powers he had pre-time skip, such as the ability to see spirits and/or dark energy (karma?), and the ability to see through Doumeki's sight and vice versa, since they share halves of the same right eye. There is also the possibility that he may have latent precognitive powers; he was able to predict the arrival of the TRC cast the first time after Yuuko taught him a technique, and his first name, "Kimihiro", means "prophet". Knowing CLAMP's style and that Clow Reed, who also has precognitive abilities and mad cooking skills, is his ancestor, I doubt this is meaningless.
In the most recent chapter (194), he says that he has learned how to play two songs from the shamisen involved in a previous exchange.
Should he try to take up anything new in SP, he will be more inclined towards the arts, or matters that would allow for more a more intuitive grasp of the material rather than something on the analytic/technical side.
Weapons: None. But will he be allowed to bring Mugetsu? He's a pipefox (see the far left panel) who transforms into a nine-tailed fox that can spit fireballs. The only way he'll be able to return to his pipefox form is if he is exposed once more to large amounts of pure energy.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History:
Since his parents died protecting him in an accident (or so we were lead to believe for the first hundred or so chapters), Watanuki has been living on his own in an apartment building run by an old couple. He was a friendly but lonely child; he had the reputation of being that weird kid who always sees things that no one else does, and he wanted a friend who had the same gift of sight - someone who could relate to him, and whom he could talk to.
Growing up like he did made him incredibly self-sufficient and responsible, and he likely learned how to balance school work with his domestic chores over time. In a way, he may also have become hyperaware of what outsiders considered as 'normal', and over time he became skilled at covering up his reactions to seeing the supernatural by saying something that would sound "excusable" - enough for them to not pay any more attention to him.
He met Yuuko by stumbling into an odd-looking building, narrowly avoiding getting eaten by another spirit. In exchange for his wish to no longer be burdened by his power to see spirits, Yuuko charges him with helping out in her shop part-time. This was the encounter that would spark the changes in Watanuki, as many other characters mention later in the series.
As Yuuko’s assistant, Watanuki is charged with cleaning and cooking duties, as well as doing various errands that end up with him witnessing the fate of and/or helping several of Yuuko's customers, with each case inevitably changing most clients for better or for worse. His assignments also expose him to parts of the spirit world that he may not have encountered before. These experiences gradually changed his view of the world, causing him to slowly appreciate the gift of sight that he once caused him grief.
Most of his significant realizations he had about himself in relation to others took place in life-threatening situations, starting from when Doumeki had to exorcise the spirit of a woman who was draining Watanuki's life energy. It was the first time someone told him that there were people who didn't want him to disappear.
Indeed, the next few volumes focus mostly on Watanuki's relationships with other people and how he and the others grow together. During the Spider's Grudge arc, wherein Doumeki first incurs the grudge of a spider by destroying its web to free Watanuki, Watanuki wished for the return of Doumeki's right eye by exchanging it with his own, thus transferring the spider's grudge to him. Later on, when he goes to save the Zashiki Warashi from the Queen of Spiders {Jorougumo}, he learns that the reckless exchanges he's been doing lessens the value of his payment since he virtually treats the sacrifices of those concerned for him as worthless, causing them a great disservice. While he permanently loses his right eye's sight when the Queen swallows it, he leaves with the new realization of how his actions affect others - an understanding more valuable than his loss. It is with this newfound humility that he is able to accept Doumeki's decision to give him half of his own right eye, setting the pace for the succeeding sacrifices that would bind Watanuki to this world and allow him to grow.
In the new year, he meets Doumeki's grandfather, Doumeki Shizuka, for the first time, who saves him from being eaten yet again, and speaks with him in a dream later that evening. This was the first among many other meetings they'd have in the dream world, where they've developed a friendship of sorts. Haruka is able to clear up some of the thoughts Watanuki has, and he has, on occasion, appeared to Watanuki to warn him of potential disaster. He was also the one who was able to pull Watanuki back while he was dreaming after he fell out of the window.
He meets Kohane in the next arc, a young girl who's been shown on television with a medium, though he did not know this at first, and who's been the subject of ridicule thereafter since she didn't seem credible enough to the public. Watanuki's first impression of her was that the two of them are alike. In between dealing with Yuuko's other clients, Watanuki makes the effort to know the girl, and the two of them slowly establish their friendship, starting with addressing each other on a first name basis - an act that suggests a close relationship in Japanese culture. Later on, Watanuki and Doumeki's visit to Kohane's house trigger Kohane's own will to change her situation.
Watanuki finally sees the bad luck Himawari is cursed with when she speaks to him while he is recovering from falling out the window, after Himawari, Doumeki, and Syaoran pay the price for him to survive the accident. Initially, it was thought that Himawari's bad luck triggered the incident; however, it is mentioned later that he tried to erase himself, however unconscious this decision was, after sensing Syaoran fighting with clone!Syaoran. It is for this reason that the theme of people telling Watanuki to not disappear is important - not only would he not have lived his life, but space-time, which was already in a fragile state, would further collapse.
He still wishes to be friends with Himawari even after he knows of her bad luck. To help ease her pain, he wished that the egg Yuuko gave him as the price for helping out with getting water from a well would turn into something that wouldn't be harmed.
A few months after, Watanuki begins to fall into the dreaming world more often. The first instance is when he sees what is perhaps a different version of their world - a Doumeki and Himawari interacting without any traces of Watanuki's existence. For the duration, Yuuko asks Watanuki to stay in the shop in order to keep him from being found by Fei Wong Reed. It is also during this time that he meets Sakura-hime from TRC, whose soul, having been split from her body, is staying in the dream world.
It was around this time that Watanuki discovered that he could not remember a lot of details about his life, such as who some of his classmates were, what the name of his apartment's landlady was, his parents' names, and even the taste of his own cooking. This caused him to doubt his existence, of whether he was a real person or not, and he despairs at the thought of all of this being simply a dream. What pulls him through this, however, is the wish for him to not disappear, and his own resolve to stay in this world. In a later chapter, Yuuko mentions that he sacrificed his memories prior to his meeting her in the first chapter so that Syaoran, Fay, and Kurogane would be able to locate Sakura's mind and body. His memories, as well as those of clone!Sakura's, were sealed in the black Mokona's earring, which was given to real!Syaoran/Tsubasa, Fay, and Kurogane at the end of TRC.
When Kohane was finally able to resolve the situation with her mother during a public confrontation, Watanuki brought her to Yuuko's shop, where she was able to express her grief at her situation. The way he treats Kohane is noticeably different from his previous interactions. He's more of a very close brother or friend to her and very honest and direct about his thoughts and feelings. Here, Kohane clearly states the difference between herself at Watanuki when they first met, and what exactly had changed - Watanuki was no longer alone.
As the events in TRC draw to an end, Watanuki and Yuuko were able to have two last conversations. The first one started as a discussion of the nature of Watanuki's client - a woman who wants to learn how to cook, but is somehow unable to taste anything she's cooked because she's afraid to know the self that she could express during the act of making food. It is clear that Watanuki understands the basic wisdom that the shop's dealings are founded on - everything is inevitable, for encounters that are meant to happen do happen. However, it is also in this conversation that Yuuko first mentions the inevitability of parting. When Watanuki wakes up, he finds that Yuuko, Mokona, Maru and Moro have disappeared.
The second meeting happened a month after, when Watanuki ran back to the shop upon finding out that none of the shop's previous clients remember Yuuko. He steps into an open, black space as soon as he's in the gates. Shocked that the shop was gone, he tried to deny what he was seeing, but Yuuko, who was there, told him he wasn't dreaming. What he was seeing was the end of her time - her death that was supposed to happen a long time ago. Yuuko explains to him why her time had been stopped before, and why she must move on now. Watanuki, however, was unprepared to say goodbye, and somewhere in the middle of crying he was able to tell her how important she was to him, and how grateful he was for meeting her.
Unfortunately, Watanuki could not think of a way to stop this from happening. When Yuuko finally tells him her wish - that he should continue to exist, Watanuki promises that he will, and that he'd wait in the shop until he meets Yuuko again.
When he woke up, he finds himself lying on the couch where Yuuko usually reclined. Doumeki confirms that he was the only one he found in the store room, and Maru and Moro finally reappear saying that Yuuko used the last of her power to keep the shop there.
Upon returning to the storeroom and picking up Yuuko's kimono, he returns to that space between worlds again to meet "Syaoran" and clone!Syaoran. In this TRC chapter, Fei Wong Reed has finally been defeated, but before he disappears he mentions that the price for stabilizing space-time (I think) must be paid by the two of them, especially since Syaoran had created that rift through his wish, resulting in Watanuki's creation as a stand-in for him in his original world. For this, Watanuki chooses to pay with his 'time' and to stay in one place - the shop.
When he returns to the storeroom, he informs Doumeki of his decision to become the shop's new owner and its consequences, such as him not being able to go to school and never aging, and steps outside to smoke.
Four years later, we find a considerably calmer Watanuki in charge of the shop. He sleeps in his spare time, smokes, drinks alcohol, and does have his playful moments every now and then. For the most part, however, he's sobered, and his view of the world is limited to what is told to him by his friends, his customers, and people from the supernatural world. It seems that Doumeki is a regular visitor at the shop, to the point that, between visiting Watanuki and going to the university, he sees less of his home.
It's also mentioned that he went through a lot of pain in his first year of being the shop keeper, with one encounter almost resulting in him dying. This is explained later as him getting the backlash for facilitating an unequal exchange.
Point in Canon: Chapter 194. This page, specifically, before he follows the Rabbit's request.
Conditional: Brief summary of previous RP history:
[for reference, please see promisedtime, played at salkia_island.]
When Watanuki landed on the island after taking his first smoke break, he found himself on the forest at Salkia Island, with no idea how he got there or if he was already violating the rules set by his and Syaoran's price. He'd encounter more surprises on the way: Doumeki and Himawari seem to have matured more, and it turns out he was in the island for several months until he vanished two weeks prior to his reappearance (that is, he was dropped and re-apped). He made the effort to reconcile with Himawari, Doumeki, and the other friends he had made in his previous stay. Other than the crazy events that the Island pitted against them, he lived a relatively normal life with the resolve to live each day on Salkia to its fullest, going so far as to work in a cafe, walk around the island, and meet other people. Once he is pulled back to his world, he knows he will no longer have the freedom to roam around as much.
He has been on the Island for around two months or so now. Currently, he is dealing with Doumeki, who has been turned into a vampire.
Lastly, he is slated for a canon update soon. This will likely set back any character development he's had so far.
Character Personality:
[for information on his personality before the timeskip, please check this page.]
Post!time skip Watanuki is startlingly different from his self four years earlier. He seems to have sobered, he wears more stylish clothing like Yuuko once did, he smokes more, and it's mentioned that he sleeps a lot. Later on, we find out that he needs to dream in order to fulfill certain wishes, and that he visits Haruka in the dream world every now and then. It's also implied that he's gone through more difficult times since he succeeded Yuuko's post, especially at the very beginning, because he is unable to balance out a customer's request for the price he names. This inability of his isn't due to his lack of capacity - indeed, for the past four years Haruka Doumeki has been training him in the use of his latent abilities - but because of his kind nature. He fails to assert that he needs to collect the proper price because he knows what his customer's wishes mean to them, and this weakens his resolve to stay firm. Very much unlike Yuuko, who ruled this business with a velvet-gloved iron fist.
One of the most significant changes Watanuki underwent in canon is that his present self is still grieving for Yuuko, almost to the point that he clings onto his promise to her just so he could get through his day-to-day life. This is by no means healthy: he literally and metaphorically cannot move forward from his past, surrounded by a place that strongly reminds him of his mother figure. That he witnessed her passing and was helpless to do anything about it after all the changes he had gone through was likely a shock to his system; an image that has haunted hum relentlessly for four years.
Watanuki's progression into depression (his "cage", so to speak - his own words and actions bind him, while the price he paid only facilitated the process) makes those closest to him worry. No longer does he flail, but neither does he have that carefree and light smile. It's as if he carries a heavy burden that he can't seem to share even though Doumeki, Kohane and the others are doing their best to keep him grounded.
Living in the shop also resulted with him having several lifestyle changes. His mannerisms, clothing styles, and style of speech all seem to have become more sophisticated. If he was wearing his old school uniform 'round the clock before, he now uses traditional Japanese and Chinese clothing, more often than not blending in feminine and masculine elements from both styles. He lounges around the receiving room of the shop like Yuuko used to, and we also see him dine while lying on his stomach, a pillow supporting his weight. Another possible contributing factor to his low energy levels is that he doesn't have to run around as much as he used to, and Doumeki already does most of the errands he used to do before, such as shopping for food. He's become less high strung, and while he still accomplishes his tasks efficiently, it is no longer done with zeal but with a calmer, purposeful pace.
Several of his conversations with his Doumeki and Kohane, it seems, often relate to their common past. This is especially true in Doumeki's case, who took up a major in Folklore when he went to college. He states that it's because his grandfather left him a wealth of material on the subject, but he and Watanuki both know that his choice had something to do with Watanuki's staying in the shop - one of the many clues that the two of them understand each other better. Watanuki, I believe, feels guilty about that, and this can be shown by him going back to that topic every now and then.
Not all of his past self is gone. He's still irritable, but his reactions aren't as loud as they were before (at this point, he and Doumeki are already old friends instead of two individuals who severely dislike each other), and he still has his sarcasm. Neither has he lost his talent for being conversant, and he gets along well with most people - not at all the type to make customers or friends uncomfortable. He's still curious about a lot of things, and his playful side comes out every now and then, like that scene where he surprises Maru and Moro. A few mementos of his past are still with him, such as the apron Himawari gave him four years ago, and he still uses it for cooking. I won't be surprised if he's kept his old uniform, too, though he may have hidden that where he couldn't se it.
To sum things up: Before, his central issue was whether or not he should exist. Now, it is his devastation with the loss of Yuuko, and this wears on his willpower to accomplish anything of significance.
Conditional: Personality development in previous game:
Pulling Watanuki from Salkia adds an interesting twist in how to play him, as it gives him time to adjust to living in the outside world before being thrown into a dystopian setting. His first visit to the Island was moments just after that final page in chapter 185, and in the beginning he was concerned with how this event would affect his promise to Yuuko and the price he and TRC!Syaoran had paid. The most significant difference with how he dealt through his grief, however, was that he didn't go through it alone and surrounded by a multitude of items that reminded him of what he had lost. Speaking with Doumeki made things especially bearable, since Doumeki was pulled just before Watanuki's second return to the store room, where he had to say goodbye to Yuuko. It meant that he had to explain what had happened for the second time, giving him the chance to further articulate his thoughts and feelings about the whole matter. On the other hand, all the activity in the island also kept him from dealing with his grief. For this reason, his frustration when he cannot help his friends is doubled. Instead of compensating for his low self-esteem, which was already resolved with the confidence he had built through his development in canon, he will instead be dealing with feelings of helplessness.
Dealing with vampire!Doumeki will be an eye opener for Watanuki, who has come to rely on Doumeki's constant presence in one way or another. It will make him more conscious of Doumeki's mortality and vulnerability as a being who can die, and in turn make him aware of how much Doumeki means to him and what he can give in return. Loyalty must be paid in kind.
Post 186!Watanuki has a different reaction to living on the island. As I mention later in the character plans section, he will need time to adjust to living out on the world again, and he will be in the process of rediscovering simple joys such as walking outside in the park, meeting friends in restaurants, and having conversations with people who don't fall into the categories of "holic crew" and "customers". I can see him watching and rewatching his previous conversations with Doumeki and other people, as well as doing activities that remind him of what he and his friends have done before Yuuko's death.
Character Plans:
1. More character development. I'd like to see how this older Watanuki will deal with ending up in a darker world that's definitely on the planet earth, with the knowledge that Japan does exist here, since he does need to stay in a pocket dimension (the shop) in order for space-time to continue running smoothly. He needs to regain his sense of being in the world with the knowledge that what he does will truly affect future events, unlike his time in the shop where he is divorced from History and Time. It's my hope to see him willfully exercising his power of choice again.
2. He's likely going to be a Greeter, if he ever gets a slot. Watanuki isn't the type who wants to get involved with politics. However, Doumeki-apper and I have agreed that he will possibly be involved with scenarios relating to Doumeki, especially once Doumeki's job gets him in trouble.
Appearance/PB: Colored page!
General
Canon Source: xxxHOLiC
Canon Format: Manga
Character's Name: Kimihiro Watanuki
Character's Age: 17-ish forever
What form will your character's NV take? Watanuki isn't one of the most gadget-savvy persons, and having lived through four years of not needing them has made him more lazy to learn about them. Indeed, he's even said that cellphone mail conversations are a pain, and he's left that part of communication to Mokona.
Having said that, his NV will likely be in the form similar to the l33t pod [LP] he had on Salkia or an iPod touch, complete with an extremely user-friendly interface. Its casing color will be crimson, and at the back there will be a single black butterfly print.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities:
Chapter 193 largely hints that we may see more ability development for Watanuki since his power, other than the talent for seeing spirits, was sealed away for his protection. Once his powers appear/are explained in canon, I may do a canon update or a canon review for him. For now, I'll go with the latent ability route, which includes the recognition of magical objects, and being able to appear in the dream world at will, though he has been warned that doing too much of the latter will be dangerous. He will still retain the powers he had pre-time skip, such as the ability to see spirits and/or dark energy (karma?), and the ability to see through Doumeki's sight and vice versa, since they share halves of the same right eye. There is also the possibility that he may have latent precognitive powers; he was able to predict the arrival of the TRC cast the first time after Yuuko taught him a technique, and his first name, "Kimihiro", means "prophet". Knowing CLAMP's style and that Clow Reed, who also has precognitive abilities and mad cooking skills, is his ancestor, I doubt this is meaningless.
In the most recent chapter (194), he says that he has learned how to play two songs from the shamisen involved in a previous exchange.
Should he try to take up anything new in SP, he will be more inclined towards the arts, or matters that would allow for more a more intuitive grasp of the material rather than something on the analytic/technical side.
Weapons: None. But will he be allowed to bring Mugetsu? He's a pipefox (see the far left panel) who transforms into a nine-tailed fox that can spit fireballs. The only way he'll be able to return to his pipefox form is if he is exposed once more to large amounts of pure energy.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History:
Since his parents died protecting him in an accident (or so we were lead to believe for the first hundred or so chapters), Watanuki has been living on his own in an apartment building run by an old couple. He was a friendly but lonely child; he had the reputation of being that weird kid who always sees things that no one else does, and he wanted a friend who had the same gift of sight - someone who could relate to him, and whom he could talk to.
Growing up like he did made him incredibly self-sufficient and responsible, and he likely learned how to balance school work with his domestic chores over time. In a way, he may also have become hyperaware of what outsiders considered as 'normal', and over time he became skilled at covering up his reactions to seeing the supernatural by saying something that would sound "excusable" - enough for them to not pay any more attention to him.
He met Yuuko by stumbling into an odd-looking building, narrowly avoiding getting eaten by another spirit. In exchange for his wish to no longer be burdened by his power to see spirits, Yuuko charges him with helping out in her shop part-time. This was the encounter that would spark the changes in Watanuki, as many other characters mention later in the series.
As Yuuko’s assistant, Watanuki is charged with cleaning and cooking duties, as well as doing various errands that end up with him witnessing the fate of and/or helping several of Yuuko's customers, with each case inevitably changing most clients for better or for worse. His assignments also expose him to parts of the spirit world that he may not have encountered before. These experiences gradually changed his view of the world, causing him to slowly appreciate the gift of sight that he once caused him grief.
Most of his significant realizations he had about himself in relation to others took place in life-threatening situations, starting from when Doumeki had to exorcise the spirit of a woman who was draining Watanuki's life energy. It was the first time someone told him that there were people who didn't want him to disappear.
Indeed, the next few volumes focus mostly on Watanuki's relationships with other people and how he and the others grow together. During the Spider's Grudge arc, wherein Doumeki first incurs the grudge of a spider by destroying its web to free Watanuki, Watanuki wished for the return of Doumeki's right eye by exchanging it with his own, thus transferring the spider's grudge to him. Later on, when he goes to save the Zashiki Warashi from the Queen of Spiders {Jorougumo}, he learns that the reckless exchanges he's been doing lessens the value of his payment since he virtually treats the sacrifices of those concerned for him as worthless, causing them a great disservice. While he permanently loses his right eye's sight when the Queen swallows it, he leaves with the new realization of how his actions affect others - an understanding more valuable than his loss. It is with this newfound humility that he is able to accept Doumeki's decision to give him half of his own right eye, setting the pace for the succeeding sacrifices that would bind Watanuki to this world and allow him to grow.
In the new year, he meets Doumeki's grandfather, Doumeki Shizuka, for the first time, who saves him from being eaten yet again, and speaks with him in a dream later that evening. This was the first among many other meetings they'd have in the dream world, where they've developed a friendship of sorts. Haruka is able to clear up some of the thoughts Watanuki has, and he has, on occasion, appeared to Watanuki to warn him of potential disaster. He was also the one who was able to pull Watanuki back while he was dreaming after he fell out of the window.
He meets Kohane in the next arc, a young girl who's been shown on television with a medium, though he did not know this at first, and who's been the subject of ridicule thereafter since she didn't seem credible enough to the public. Watanuki's first impression of her was that the two of them are alike. In between dealing with Yuuko's other clients, Watanuki makes the effort to know the girl, and the two of them slowly establish their friendship, starting with addressing each other on a first name basis - an act that suggests a close relationship in Japanese culture. Later on, Watanuki and Doumeki's visit to Kohane's house trigger Kohane's own will to change her situation.
Watanuki finally sees the bad luck Himawari is cursed with when she speaks to him while he is recovering from falling out the window, after Himawari, Doumeki, and Syaoran pay the price for him to survive the accident. Initially, it was thought that Himawari's bad luck triggered the incident; however, it is mentioned later that he tried to erase himself, however unconscious this decision was, after sensing Syaoran fighting with clone!Syaoran. It is for this reason that the theme of people telling Watanuki to not disappear is important - not only would he not have lived his life, but space-time, which was already in a fragile state, would further collapse.
He still wishes to be friends with Himawari even after he knows of her bad luck. To help ease her pain, he wished that the egg Yuuko gave him as the price for helping out with getting water from a well would turn into something that wouldn't be harmed.
A few months after, Watanuki begins to fall into the dreaming world more often. The first instance is when he sees what is perhaps a different version of their world - a Doumeki and Himawari interacting without any traces of Watanuki's existence. For the duration, Yuuko asks Watanuki to stay in the shop in order to keep him from being found by Fei Wong Reed. It is also during this time that he meets Sakura-hime from TRC, whose soul, having been split from her body, is staying in the dream world.
It was around this time that Watanuki discovered that he could not remember a lot of details about his life, such as who some of his classmates were, what the name of his apartment's landlady was, his parents' names, and even the taste of his own cooking. This caused him to doubt his existence, of whether he was a real person or not, and he despairs at the thought of all of this being simply a dream. What pulls him through this, however, is the wish for him to not disappear, and his own resolve to stay in this world. In a later chapter, Yuuko mentions that he sacrificed his memories prior to his meeting her in the first chapter so that Syaoran, Fay, and Kurogane would be able to locate Sakura's mind and body. His memories, as well as those of clone!Sakura's, were sealed in the black Mokona's earring, which was given to real!Syaoran/Tsubasa, Fay, and Kurogane at the end of TRC.
When Kohane was finally able to resolve the situation with her mother during a public confrontation, Watanuki brought her to Yuuko's shop, where she was able to express her grief at her situation. The way he treats Kohane is noticeably different from his previous interactions. He's more of a very close brother or friend to her and very honest and direct about his thoughts and feelings. Here, Kohane clearly states the difference between herself at Watanuki when they first met, and what exactly had changed - Watanuki was no longer alone.
As the events in TRC draw to an end, Watanuki and Yuuko were able to have two last conversations. The first one started as a discussion of the nature of Watanuki's client - a woman who wants to learn how to cook, but is somehow unable to taste anything she's cooked because she's afraid to know the self that she could express during the act of making food. It is clear that Watanuki understands the basic wisdom that the shop's dealings are founded on - everything is inevitable, for encounters that are meant to happen do happen. However, it is also in this conversation that Yuuko first mentions the inevitability of parting. When Watanuki wakes up, he finds that Yuuko, Mokona, Maru and Moro have disappeared.
The second meeting happened a month after, when Watanuki ran back to the shop upon finding out that none of the shop's previous clients remember Yuuko. He steps into an open, black space as soon as he's in the gates. Shocked that the shop was gone, he tried to deny what he was seeing, but Yuuko, who was there, told him he wasn't dreaming. What he was seeing was the end of her time - her death that was supposed to happen a long time ago. Yuuko explains to him why her time had been stopped before, and why she must move on now. Watanuki, however, was unprepared to say goodbye, and somewhere in the middle of crying he was able to tell her how important she was to him, and how grateful he was for meeting her.
Unfortunately, Watanuki could not think of a way to stop this from happening. When Yuuko finally tells him her wish - that he should continue to exist, Watanuki promises that he will, and that he'd wait in the shop until he meets Yuuko again.
When he woke up, he finds himself lying on the couch where Yuuko usually reclined. Doumeki confirms that he was the only one he found in the store room, and Maru and Moro finally reappear saying that Yuuko used the last of her power to keep the shop there.
Upon returning to the storeroom and picking up Yuuko's kimono, he returns to that space between worlds again to meet "Syaoran" and clone!Syaoran. In this TRC chapter, Fei Wong Reed has finally been defeated, but before he disappears he mentions that the price for stabilizing space-time (I think) must be paid by the two of them, especially since Syaoran had created that rift through his wish, resulting in Watanuki's creation as a stand-in for him in his original world. For this, Watanuki chooses to pay with his 'time' and to stay in one place - the shop.
When he returns to the storeroom, he informs Doumeki of his decision to become the shop's new owner and its consequences, such as him not being able to go to school and never aging, and steps outside to smoke.
Four years later, we find a considerably calmer Watanuki in charge of the shop. He sleeps in his spare time, smokes, drinks alcohol, and does have his playful moments every now and then. For the most part, however, he's sobered, and his view of the world is limited to what is told to him by his friends, his customers, and people from the supernatural world. It seems that Doumeki is a regular visitor at the shop, to the point that, between visiting Watanuki and going to the university, he sees less of his home.
It's also mentioned that he went through a lot of pain in his first year of being the shop keeper, with one encounter almost resulting in him dying. This is explained later as him getting the backlash for facilitating an unequal exchange.
Point in Canon: Chapter 194. This page, specifically, before he follows the Rabbit's request.
Conditional: Brief summary of previous RP history:
[for reference, please see promisedtime, played at salkia_island.]
When Watanuki landed on the island after taking his first smoke break, he found himself on the forest at Salkia Island, with no idea how he got there or if he was already violating the rules set by his and Syaoran's price. He'd encounter more surprises on the way: Doumeki and Himawari seem to have matured more, and it turns out he was in the island for several months until he vanished two weeks prior to his reappearance (that is, he was dropped and re-apped). He made the effort to reconcile with Himawari, Doumeki, and the other friends he had made in his previous stay. Other than the crazy events that the Island pitted against them, he lived a relatively normal life with the resolve to live each day on Salkia to its fullest, going so far as to work in a cafe, walk around the island, and meet other people. Once he is pulled back to his world, he knows he will no longer have the freedom to roam around as much.
He has been on the Island for around two months or so now. Currently, he is dealing with Doumeki, who has been turned into a vampire.
Lastly, he is slated for a canon update soon. This will likely set back any character development he's had so far.
Character Personality:
[for information on his personality before the timeskip, please check this page.]
Post!time skip Watanuki is startlingly different from his self four years earlier. He seems to have sobered, he wears more stylish clothing like Yuuko once did, he smokes more, and it's mentioned that he sleeps a lot. Later on, we find out that he needs to dream in order to fulfill certain wishes, and that he visits Haruka in the dream world every now and then. It's also implied that he's gone through more difficult times since he succeeded Yuuko's post, especially at the very beginning, because he is unable to balance out a customer's request for the price he names. This inability of his isn't due to his lack of capacity - indeed, for the past four years Haruka Doumeki has been training him in the use of his latent abilities - but because of his kind nature. He fails to assert that he needs to collect the proper price because he knows what his customer's wishes mean to them, and this weakens his resolve to stay firm. Very much unlike Yuuko, who ruled this business with a velvet-gloved iron fist.
One of the most significant changes Watanuki underwent in canon is that his present self is still grieving for Yuuko, almost to the point that he clings onto his promise to her just so he could get through his day-to-day life. This is by no means healthy: he literally and metaphorically cannot move forward from his past, surrounded by a place that strongly reminds him of his mother figure. That he witnessed her passing and was helpless to do anything about it after all the changes he had gone through was likely a shock to his system; an image that has haunted hum relentlessly for four years.
Watanuki's progression into depression (his "cage", so to speak - his own words and actions bind him, while the price he paid only facilitated the process) makes those closest to him worry. No longer does he flail, but neither does he have that carefree and light smile. It's as if he carries a heavy burden that he can't seem to share even though Doumeki, Kohane and the others are doing their best to keep him grounded.
Living in the shop also resulted with him having several lifestyle changes. His mannerisms, clothing styles, and style of speech all seem to have become more sophisticated. If he was wearing his old school uniform 'round the clock before, he now uses traditional Japanese and Chinese clothing, more often than not blending in feminine and masculine elements from both styles. He lounges around the receiving room of the shop like Yuuko used to, and we also see him dine while lying on his stomach, a pillow supporting his weight. Another possible contributing factor to his low energy levels is that he doesn't have to run around as much as he used to, and Doumeki already does most of the errands he used to do before, such as shopping for food. He's become less high strung, and while he still accomplishes his tasks efficiently, it is no longer done with zeal but with a calmer, purposeful pace.
Several of his conversations with his Doumeki and Kohane, it seems, often relate to their common past. This is especially true in Doumeki's case, who took up a major in Folklore when he went to college. He states that it's because his grandfather left him a wealth of material on the subject, but he and Watanuki both know that his choice had something to do with Watanuki's staying in the shop - one of the many clues that the two of them understand each other better. Watanuki, I believe, feels guilty about that, and this can be shown by him going back to that topic every now and then.
Not all of his past self is gone. He's still irritable, but his reactions aren't as loud as they were before (at this point, he and Doumeki are already old friends instead of two individuals who severely dislike each other), and he still has his sarcasm. Neither has he lost his talent for being conversant, and he gets along well with most people - not at all the type to make customers or friends uncomfortable. He's still curious about a lot of things, and his playful side comes out every now and then, like that scene where he surprises Maru and Moro. A few mementos of his past are still with him, such as the apron Himawari gave him four years ago, and he still uses it for cooking. I won't be surprised if he's kept his old uniform, too, though he may have hidden that where he couldn't se it.
To sum things up: Before, his central issue was whether or not he should exist. Now, it is his devastation with the loss of Yuuko, and this wears on his willpower to accomplish anything of significance.
Conditional: Personality development in previous game:
Pulling Watanuki from Salkia adds an interesting twist in how to play him, as it gives him time to adjust to living in the outside world before being thrown into a dystopian setting. His first visit to the Island was moments just after that final page in chapter 185, and in the beginning he was concerned with how this event would affect his promise to Yuuko and the price he and TRC!Syaoran had paid. The most significant difference with how he dealt through his grief, however, was that he didn't go through it alone and surrounded by a multitude of items that reminded him of what he had lost. Speaking with Doumeki made things especially bearable, since Doumeki was pulled just before Watanuki's second return to the store room, where he had to say goodbye to Yuuko. It meant that he had to explain what had happened for the second time, giving him the chance to further articulate his thoughts and feelings about the whole matter. On the other hand, all the activity in the island also kept him from dealing with his grief. For this reason, his frustration when he cannot help his friends is doubled. Instead of compensating for his low self-esteem, which was already resolved with the confidence he had built through his development in canon, he will instead be dealing with feelings of helplessness.
Dealing with vampire!Doumeki will be an eye opener for Watanuki, who has come to rely on Doumeki's constant presence in one way or another. It will make him more conscious of Doumeki's mortality and vulnerability as a being who can die, and in turn make him aware of how much Doumeki means to him and what he can give in return. Loyalty must be paid in kind.
Post 186!Watanuki has a different reaction to living on the island. As I mention later in the character plans section, he will need time to adjust to living out on the world again, and he will be in the process of rediscovering simple joys such as walking outside in the park, meeting friends in restaurants, and having conversations with people who don't fall into the categories of "holic crew" and "customers". I can see him watching and rewatching his previous conversations with Doumeki and other people, as well as doing activities that remind him of what he and his friends have done before Yuuko's death.
Character Plans:
1. More character development. I'd like to see how this older Watanuki will deal with ending up in a darker world that's definitely on the planet earth, with the knowledge that Japan does exist here, since he does need to stay in a pocket dimension (the shop) in order for space-time to continue running smoothly. He needs to regain his sense of being in the world with the knowledge that what he does will truly affect future events, unlike his time in the shop where he is divorced from History and Time. It's my hope to see him willfully exercising his power of choice again.
2. He's likely going to be a Greeter, if he ever gets a slot. Watanuki isn't the type who wants to get involved with politics. However, Doumeki-apper and I have agreed that he will possibly be involved with scenarios relating to Doumeki, especially once Doumeki's job gets him in trouble.
Appearance/PB: Colored page!