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I love rp_advice_meme/rpadvicememe. It's like BONUS CRIT or something! And goodness knows I love me some crit! That's where this comes from, and I was so happy to find it, because it addressed some problems I felt like I was having better than I could have done myself. I'm pasting this here so I can go through and add on to it, and also be able to get to it quickly, but the original is here and the author is a spectacular person for writing this out.
First off, be sure to examine his scenes in Vol9 in minute detail. Kio is a very compassionate character. The gay and the artsy are by no means window dressing, but in a lot of ways the real reason he got close to Soubi, despite the latter's prickliness, was because he thought Soubi needed a friend. And he still does --Soubi can explain about bonds and ownership until hell freezes over, and Kio isn't going to buy it.
This, this, and even more this. Yes, the gay and artsy are part of his identity, but it certainly isn't all there is.I think it goes into this later, that this is the sort of guy who saw someone he perceived as being lonely, saw that this person might be broken or hurt, and decided to befriend him. When you put it like that, it sounds kind of shallow, but it's not, because at the heart of it, he does genuinely care. It's empathy, rather than a desire to be looked up to or revered or anything like that... I mean, it must be, since he's still Soubi's friend and Soubi is about as far from worshipping Kio as you could get! He's just one of Those People.
As hard and fast advice goes, don't drown their relationship in lust. There's a core of solid caring at the heart of Kio's fussing and pestering Soubi. He'd love to go to bed with him. But there's a lighthearted outrageousness to his advances, a sense that he'll be there even if Soubi never takes him up on it. And be okay, you know? He's young, sunny, flirty, and not the sort to pine. At least, not openly. He might complain to someone roughly his age, if Soubi's being particularly difficult, or the contrast with Ritsuka is painfully vivid. But Kio has a lot more options socially and emotionally than the beautiful, broken creature he's gone out of his way to befriend.
Oh yeah see. There it goes, haha. If I'd just waited a paragraph! To add on to this, I don't personally get the impression that Soubi is Kio's ~one true love~, or all he thinks about all the time. I do think there is genuine affection, and I do think Kio would date Soubi, given the chance, but I also feel like it's okay if that doesn't happen. So long as Soubi is okay, and happy. But on the same token... yeeeah, he's still a human, so if the attraction is there, he's going to flirt. I also wonder how weird family stuff plays into this, because there's also the wife-and-daughter thing to take into consideration, which is pretty messed up. Which I will mention more about later.
If you're playing him in a remotely urban setting, it would make sense to give him a life --art school homework, other friends, bars and clubs and thrift stores where a cash-strapped student can create a style for cheap. He lives in a world that Soubi and Ritsuka only partially inhabit, so if you're going for authenticity, those sorts of non-magic details should help flesh him out.
Obviously this doesn't apply entirely but it's still a good point anyway... Soubi and Ritsuka aren't his entire life, and he has nothing to do with spell battles and the like, as far as we know. (He... might. But if he does, he hasn't let on.) I'll confess that his first couple weeks in camp might make it seem that way because in camp? Well, Soubi and Ritsuka ARE all that's familiar here to him, but as he makes more CR, this should taper off.
He's very outgoing, to the point of occasionally making a nuisance of himself. Even if it weren't for his opinion of violence, Seimei would probably hate and despise him. Then again, this same upbeat familiarity helped him get over the initial awkwardness with Ritsuka. He's at ease with himself, and it makes it easier for other people to get comfortable around him.
Also a good point! And something I struggle with, so far. He's not an idiot, and it's not that he can't read the mood at all... so if something is really serious, and I mean like, really serious, he's probably going to tone it down a little. That's not to say if he's annoying someone, he's going to stop. He does over the top... but not into the point of being outrageously offensive, I think. Like there's going far, and then there's going too far, and I think if he does go too far, it goes back to the matter of compassion, and he's not going to keep pressing there. IT MAKES SENSE IN MY MIND, it's hard to explain. It's the difference between knowing when your friends are just tsunnnnning at you or when they're really really ticked.
What else ... Kio is not afraid to say what he thinks. The matter-of-fact way he sized up Ritsuka and announced that Rit-chan was an okay person wasn't impolite, per se, but it was extremely earnest. He's the sort of person who will talk about the elephant in the room, unless he's worried about his physical safety. Thus, his questions to BLOODLESS were limited, but what he said to Ritsuka regarding Soubi and Seimei was relatively uncensored.
A mild lack of mind-to-mouth filter, although not as bad as it could be. Also, regarding the run in with Bloodless, I'd like to say that reading those chapters, I think he dealt with the whole being kidnapped thing fairly well. Yes, he freaked out at first, and who wouldn't? But he didn't linger in it too long or wallow in self pity. He freaked a bit, and then stowed all that panic away and got down to the important stuff: "What do I have left to me? Well, I can't get out, but I can talk, so I'm going to talk." And that's what he did. I think it's interesting and a little telling that the FIRST demand he made was to be fed, and then to be let out. There are some interesting implications in that, I think, and it's kind of smart if I want to sit here and overanalyze it.
Overall, he has a pretty forgiving view of other people. He scolds Soubi about being a pervert, and tries to ensure that Ritsuka doesn't end up in sketchy situations --it's an ongoing joke in Loveless, because the audience knows Soubi isn't going to take Ritsuka's ears before he's old enough, but from Kio's point of view, it's serious. And he's willing to monitor the situation, rather than calling in the authorities. There are limits to his tolerance, though, and Seimei more than exceeds them. I'd guess that he's drawing a distinction between actions that violate social norms and ones that actually hurt someone.
I think it's definitely the line between "social norms" and someone actually being at risk of harm. Because it's not like he doesn't know Soubi, you know? And I think most people are a little more forgiving when it comes to what their friends are doing. Not to mention that it's kind of a double standard, and I think it's just another one of Those Things. It's funny, though... THIS HAS ACTUALLY COME UP TWICE IN CAMP NOW ACTUALLY god camp why so perverted.
Also, this might be spoilers for the past five or six chapters? It's from January or February I think, but considering that it doesn't come out all that often, then it might still be spoiler. Anyway, you've been warned.
So. The whole wife-and-daughter bit. Which... I didn't know this before, but it was mentioned in the character booklet a long time ago with no real explanation. I DID NOT KNOW THIS since I didn't really do the whole fandom thing with anime until a few years ago, and so I canon reviewed, THEN found out about the character booklet.
ANYWAY.
As I understand it, then, this was kind of a lolz joke with the last Kio, but canon has come up since they dropped to show that... well, maybe it's really not so lulzy. His daughter looks anywhere between 8 and 14 by my estimation, so let's play math here:
Kio is in Soubi's classes in university, so chances are he's not over 22. Taking that, he couldn't have been any older than 14 when she was born, which yes... it's possible. But it's also really kind of Serious Business.
He even says that she's close in age to him, and doesn't remember her ever being born. And then let's not look over the fact that she doesn't have her ears, even though she very obviously looks like a child still. The wife (and mother) looks to be about an appropriate age but, well...
Point number two. He acts really weird with the both of them. Even if he's forced to, he speaks respectfully to her which is like "???". And then the wife... he like, sits three feet away from her, and on the floor. THIS IS REALLY REALLY WEIRD and the whole deal has some sort of weird mafia overtone, especially since he has that full back tattoo and Japan is like that with tattoos and stuff I guess. (If anyone wants to correct me or fill me in on if any of this really ties in to Japanese mafia behavior, feel free, because I know my knowledge is lacking a lot. It's just the vibe I get??)
Anyway, the point I'm getting at is that the family business isn't really a laughing matter, and it's also really mysterious. So if and when this comes up, he's probably going to try to avoid the subject- one, because he doesn't talk about it, like, EVER in canon, and two because I don't want to back myself into a corner that I'll have to retcon later. I think it works enough ICly that I don't really have to worry about that becoming a problem, but I just wanted to get that out there. I don't expect anyone to play any differently than they would normally, just if it's confusing why he's acting that way... now you know!
First off, be sure to examine his scenes in Vol9 in minute detail. Kio is a very compassionate character. The gay and the artsy are by no means window dressing, but in a lot of ways the real reason he got close to Soubi, despite the latter's prickliness, was because he thought Soubi needed a friend. And he still does --Soubi can explain about bonds and ownership until hell freezes over, and Kio isn't going to buy it.
This, this, and even more this. Yes, the gay and artsy are part of his identity, but it certainly isn't all there is.I think it goes into this later, that this is the sort of guy who saw someone he perceived as being lonely, saw that this person might be broken or hurt, and decided to befriend him. When you put it like that, it sounds kind of shallow, but it's not, because at the heart of it, he does genuinely care. It's empathy, rather than a desire to be looked up to or revered or anything like that... I mean, it must be, since he's still Soubi's friend and Soubi is about as far from worshipping Kio as you could get! He's just one of Those People.
As hard and fast advice goes, don't drown their relationship in lust. There's a core of solid caring at the heart of Kio's fussing and pestering Soubi. He'd love to go to bed with him. But there's a lighthearted outrageousness to his advances, a sense that he'll be there even if Soubi never takes him up on it. And be okay, you know? He's young, sunny, flirty, and not the sort to pine. At least, not openly. He might complain to someone roughly his age, if Soubi's being particularly difficult, or the contrast with Ritsuka is painfully vivid. But Kio has a lot more options socially and emotionally than the beautiful, broken creature he's gone out of his way to befriend.
Oh yeah see. There it goes, haha. If I'd just waited a paragraph! To add on to this, I don't personally get the impression that Soubi is Kio's ~one true love~, or all he thinks about all the time. I do think there is genuine affection, and I do think Kio would date Soubi, given the chance, but I also feel like it's okay if that doesn't happen. So long as Soubi is okay, and happy. But on the same token... yeeeah, he's still a human, so if the attraction is there, he's going to flirt. I also wonder how weird family stuff plays into this, because there's also the wife-and-daughter thing to take into consideration, which is pretty messed up. Which I will mention more about later.
If you're playing him in a remotely urban setting, it would make sense to give him a life --art school homework, other friends, bars and clubs and thrift stores where a cash-strapped student can create a style for cheap. He lives in a world that Soubi and Ritsuka only partially inhabit, so if you're going for authenticity, those sorts of non-magic details should help flesh him out.
Obviously this doesn't apply entirely but it's still a good point anyway... Soubi and Ritsuka aren't his entire life, and he has nothing to do with spell battles and the like, as far as we know. (He... might. But if he does, he hasn't let on.) I'll confess that his first couple weeks in camp might make it seem that way because in camp? Well, Soubi and Ritsuka ARE all that's familiar here to him, but as he makes more CR, this should taper off.
He's very outgoing, to the point of occasionally making a nuisance of himself. Even if it weren't for his opinion of violence, Seimei would probably hate and despise him. Then again, this same upbeat familiarity helped him get over the initial awkwardness with Ritsuka. He's at ease with himself, and it makes it easier for other people to get comfortable around him.
Also a good point! And something I struggle with, so far. He's not an idiot, and it's not that he can't read the mood at all... so if something is really serious, and I mean like, really serious, he's probably going to tone it down a little. That's not to say if he's annoying someone, he's going to stop. He does over the top... but not into the point of being outrageously offensive, I think. Like there's going far, and then there's going too far, and I think if he does go too far, it goes back to the matter of compassion, and he's not going to keep pressing there. IT MAKES SENSE IN MY MIND, it's hard to explain. It's the difference between knowing when your friends are just tsunnnnning at you or when they're really really ticked.
What else ... Kio is not afraid to say what he thinks. The matter-of-fact way he sized up Ritsuka and announced that Rit-chan was an okay person wasn't impolite, per se, but it was extremely earnest. He's the sort of person who will talk about the elephant in the room, unless he's worried about his physical safety. Thus, his questions to BLOODLESS were limited, but what he said to Ritsuka regarding Soubi and Seimei was relatively uncensored.
A mild lack of mind-to-mouth filter, although not as bad as it could be. Also, regarding the run in with Bloodless, I'd like to say that reading those chapters, I think he dealt with the whole being kidnapped thing fairly well. Yes, he freaked out at first, and who wouldn't? But he didn't linger in it too long or wallow in self pity. He freaked a bit, and then stowed all that panic away and got down to the important stuff: "What do I have left to me? Well, I can't get out, but I can talk, so I'm going to talk." And that's what he did. I think it's interesting and a little telling that the FIRST demand he made was to be fed, and then to be let out. There are some interesting implications in that, I think, and it's kind of smart if I want to sit here and overanalyze it.
Overall, he has a pretty forgiving view of other people. He scolds Soubi about being a pervert, and tries to ensure that Ritsuka doesn't end up in sketchy situations --it's an ongoing joke in Loveless, because the audience knows Soubi isn't going to take Ritsuka's ears before he's old enough, but from Kio's point of view, it's serious. And he's willing to monitor the situation, rather than calling in the authorities. There are limits to his tolerance, though, and Seimei more than exceeds them. I'd guess that he's drawing a distinction between actions that violate social norms and ones that actually hurt someone.
I think it's definitely the line between "social norms" and someone actually being at risk of harm. Because it's not like he doesn't know Soubi, you know? And I think most people are a little more forgiving when it comes to what their friends are doing. Not to mention that it's kind of a double standard, and I think it's just another one of Those Things. It's funny, though... THIS HAS ACTUALLY COME UP TWICE IN CAMP NOW ACTUALLY god camp why so perverted.
Also, this might be spoilers for the past five or six chapters? It's from January or February I think, but considering that it doesn't come out all that often, then it might still be spoiler. Anyway, you've been warned.
So. The whole wife-and-daughter bit. Which... I didn't know this before, but it was mentioned in the character booklet a long time ago with no real explanation. I DID NOT KNOW THIS since I didn't really do the whole fandom thing with anime until a few years ago, and so I canon reviewed, THEN found out about the character booklet.
ANYWAY.
As I understand it, then, this was kind of a lolz joke with the last Kio, but canon has come up since they dropped to show that... well, maybe it's really not so lulzy. His daughter looks anywhere between 8 and 14 by my estimation, so let's play math here:
Kio is in Soubi's classes in university, so chances are he's not over 22. Taking that, he couldn't have been any older than 14 when she was born, which yes... it's possible. But it's also really kind of Serious Business.
He even says that she's close in age to him, and doesn't remember her ever being born. And then let's not look over the fact that she doesn't have her ears, even though she very obviously looks like a child still. The wife (and mother) looks to be about an appropriate age but, well...
Point number two. He acts really weird with the both of them. Even if he's forced to, he speaks respectfully to her which is like "???". And then the wife... he like, sits three feet away from her, and on the floor. THIS IS REALLY REALLY WEIRD and the whole deal has some sort of weird mafia overtone, especially since he has that full back tattoo and Japan is like that with tattoos and stuff I guess. (If anyone wants to correct me or fill me in on if any of this really ties in to Japanese mafia behavior, feel free, because I know my knowledge is lacking a lot. It's just the vibe I get??)
Anyway, the point I'm getting at is that the family business isn't really a laughing matter, and it's also really mysterious. So if and when this comes up, he's probably going to try to avoid the subject- one, because he doesn't talk about it, like, EVER in canon, and two because I don't want to back myself into a corner that I'll have to retcon later. I think it works enough ICly that I don't really have to worry about that becoming a problem, but I just wanted to get that out there. I don't expect anyone to play any differently than they would normally, just if it's confusing why he's acting that way... now you know!