#alnst oc: kioku

[severedscales]

Time to pump it up! Are you ready? Let's go!

kioku's stage outfit! its kind of odd at first glance but i swear there were reasons for it

i think the main thing i was going for is pretty obvious, i wanted her to have a sporty/athletic kind of vibe reminiscent of those home workout videos from the 80s. (hence the earpiece because she will be mainly be dancing)

i originally wrote like 5 paragraphs just explaining the inspirations for this outfit but they're kind of funny to look at together so ill just let them speak for themselves

inspos: elisabeth sparkle & sue (the substance), sportacus & stephanie (lazytown)

yeah. im deadass i fear

certain parts (particularly the limb accessories) were also loosely based off of ochako uraraka's hero suit (uravity) and jenny the teenage robot for the more tech aspect. these accessories are meant to resemble leg and arm warmers, but they're actually made of a very light metal.

since kio is known for her bad memory (especially since it was tampered with before the performance) the limb accessories and circular devices are programmed to forcefully jerk her body in the right direction if she ever forgets a move (she still has to properly execute it herself, of course). it's something akin to mizi's dance practice contraption but on a smaller and less restrictive scale.

anyways, here's some extras: an alt version and a blank version

okay, that's all for now. i know there's stuff regarding jiu and juliet's rigged round, trust me, i'll get to that soon.

[solei-eclipse]

[ dry coughing ] hey

I'd like to introduce the ocs/concepts I previously mentioned! they were thought up mostly for fun (and HEAVILY inspired by a few things, try and take a guess) so I'm not sure if I'll spend as much time on them. who knows, maybe they'll grow on me.

they're super funny to me. i think i made them just to have a laugh. sorry. you'll see why soon!

anyway, this is Jiu and Kioku! They have a long history together (well, at least one of them thinks so).

Jiu ( jee - yu )

A very dutiful and serious person

Has a formal way of speech (he almost never speaks casually)

Carries himself with a regal air, behaves like a young noble

Incredibly melancholic

His eyes have a strange quality to them, almost as if he's looking far off into the distance or straight through certain people (even if they're standing right in front of him)

Often takes a leadership role, adept at managing and organization (class president/class rep type)

Very cold and distant despite taking on multiple responsibilities

Neutral in stance, polite but in the detached way

Willing to help his classmates with whatever is needed, but won't do more than what's absolutely necessary

Holds his duty and responsibility in high regard, always in service to someone or something

Used to have a gentle, caring, and protective nature, but was forced to snuff it out due to his cruel home environment and those who took advantage of his kindness

Under the ownership of a rich and illustrious segyein, the hostess of an establishment where human pets were put to work

Due to his exceptional mental abilities and sense of duty, he was promoted to a high position at a very young age. He handles accounting and is the hostess' right hand man

Because of his duty and devotion to service, he is made to carry out illegal and immoral acts in secret

Whenever he returns from the Anakt Garden, Jiu is immediately put to work

He is pale to the point of his veins showing and has a dull, steely gaze

Jiu sleeps face-down. There's no reason for it, he just does

Yes, it's suffocating. Someone has to turn him over in his sleep just to make sure he can breathe right. There was once someone who used to do it for him, but now nobody does

Kioku ( kee - oh - ku )

Prefers everyone to call her Kio !

She arrives to the Garden quite late due to certain health complications (according to her guardian)

Has a very open face and unguarded eyes, which may lower the guard of other people

It's genuinely a strange quality. Those who hold secrets or ill intent may feel uncomfortable looking into her eyes for long periods of time.

Kio herself almost never lies. She will tell the truth even if it brings about consequence

Very athletic! Excels in sports and ranks high during Field Days

Kind in a way that's incredibly stubborn. Wills herself to forgive those who have wronged her and regards them with gratitude despite everything

Very persistent, has a great amount of inner strength

As a child, Kio was weak, cowardly, and codependent. She entered an establishment at a young age in exchange for her safety, but since she refused to adjust herself to the environment (perform actions she deemed cruel) she was often picked on and treated unfairly

Since she was weak, she clung onto the first person who gave her the slightest bit of help and blindly trusted them

Currently so different from her child self. Those who knew her back then find the change incredibly jarring (almost like she's become a completely different person)

There is something off about her. She can't seem to recall anything about her past and feels like something has been taken from her in a way

The fact that she can't recall her childhood pushes her to live in the present, she'd prefer not to look back

She is still unaware of how she got the scar on her cheek

Together :

Jiu seems to regard Kio differently, almost cautiously

As Kio arrived to the Garden late, the responsibility of looking after her fell into Jiu's hands

He was in charge of getting her acquainted with routines, past lessons, etc.

Though Jiu is normally as imperturbable as a rock, there is a unique air of awkwardness to him whenever he interacts with Kio

He refuses to look her in the eyes

Kio, for her part, tries very hard to catch up and makes sure she isn't a burden to him

His odd treatment of her makes her conscious that he dislikes her, which pushes her to work harder

Jiu is the only person who refuses to address Kio by her nickame. He only calls her Kioku, or if he can help it, doesn't refer to her by name at all

Particularly observant individuals may notice how Jiu begins to lose composure. It's incredibly subtle, so it's not obvious to others

Kio has a strange feeling about him that she just can't put her finger on.... at times it makes her uneasy

Random tidbits:

Jiu ( ジウ ) : samurai, warrior, knight. or "to serve someone of high rank or status with respect and loyalty."

( emphasis on themes of service and devotion )

Kioku ( キオク ) : literally translates to memory.

( to remember, remembrance, recollection )

Jiu's sharp strands of hair that fade to white are meant to vaguely mimic a dragon's features (two sharp fangs on his forehead, two long whiskers on the sides of his head)

Kioku vaguely resembles a bird feather.

Her eyes are wide, round, and far apart. They not only emphasize her openness, but are also reminiscent of fish eyes (associated with empty-headedness, a certain lack of something + the concept of goldfishes with bad memory)

Kio's main emotion is curiosity

Jiu's main emotion is guilt

[brightstarofnoct]

what do you think of your classmates sirius : D ?

JIU ( @severedscales ): He’s fascinating, in a way. So studious, so monotonous. He seems to act strange in front of that Kioku girl. I think it’s a little bit funny how we almost wear our hair similarly. Would it be weird if I said I wanted to dissect him?

KIOKU (same as above): Very forgetful. I want to know why… but I can’t just go up to someone and ask, “Why is your memory horrible?” She’s so friendly. She reminds me of sunflowers. I might give her one some day.

NENE: Her brightness is very blinding, it’s a little bit annoying. She’s always writing letters. Either that, or she’s pining over some girl like a loser. I deliver her work sometimes. I try not to think about her, really.

XAEL: He doesn’t like me. It’s fun to mess with him.

NUMA: Arguably one of the most interesting in ANAKT Garden. He has such a warm feeling about him… it’s not overwhelming, or bad. He’s always so nice. He has so much energy, he loves sports, but he’s not a sore loser. He’s even willing to teach others how to play with him. I worry for him sometimes when I notice he spends too long in the bathroom and comes out looking rather pale. I see it normally happens right after lunch, if he eats. He usually skips it. It’s so odd to me how much energy he has even if I almost never see him eat. I want to know everything about him.

ZERO ( @myworld-collapsing ): Zero is like a shadow. I think their name is fitting. I don’t really see Zero, but I feel him around me. He’s obsessed with me. I don’t mind it, though. I think it’s cute. I like seeing his reactions.

ASAHI (same as above): I don’t believe in matchmaking. I often find myself annoyed with her for a reason I can’t describe.

DANTE ( @imperfectnothing ): I like him. He’s very helpful to me. I appreciate the company he brings. Dante himself doesn’t scare me, but… There’s something about the way he makes me feel. It’s different. That’s what’s scary. I don’t want to hurt him for loving me. I don’t know exactly what that means. I might tell him when I know what this feeling is.

MILL ( @waterydream ): Mill is like me. Mill and I share a lot of the same attributes. I don’t have to “pretend” with Mill. He told me I didn’t have to. That neither of us have to. But still, I wouldn’t call them a friend. Sometimes Mill does say things that seem a little bit targeted, though I wouldn’t call it annoying. I’d say we’re acquaintances at most.

TOKI ( @eventseraphim ): What a freak. It’s like he saw through my facade the moment we met. He likes bullying me as if it’s a joke. It doesn’t matter, though. He makes for an interesting friend. I will say that he is quite lucky I didn’t come to ANAKT for new test subjects…

INNAMORATI ( @alien-til-i-stage ): Very friendly. I don’t like it when he messes with me. I don’t want to show it and hurt his feelings, he seems fragile.

MACBETH (same as above): “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time; and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” … Sorry. He’s named after a show I’ve read before and enjoyed, that’s all. I like Shakespeare. It’s interesting to me how humans used to talk… I think Macbeth is very well named. I wonder if he’s read the play…

YUME ( @sotogalmo ): So odd. I want to take Yume apart to see how what makes him tick. Is that so wrong?

YVONNE ( @aakaneeee ): Hm. She reminds me of vines. To be loved by her is to be trapped in a thorny embrace for all eternity…

ELIANA (same as above): I don’t know why Nene finds her interesting. Nene has such odd tastes…  At least Eliana is pretty.

YAEL ( @lookatmysillies ): He’s such an enabler. He doesn’t know what he’s doing to me, and I’d like to keep it that way. He doesn’t need to know anything I don’t need to tell him.

[ivanttakethis]

PARA EXPLAIN YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!!!! @severedscales

[lookatmysillies]

Yael Fun (Tragic) Facts!

Since he has the least amount of screen time of any of my OCs so far, he’s some tidbits of his character to help get to know him better:

-He gravitates towards unhealthy relationships whether that be for friends or romantic partners. He has an incredibly toxic and codependent relationship with Macbeth, and after Macbeth’s death, he becomes obsessed with trying to get Innamorati to accept him and accept Macbeth’s passing.

-He could have the potential for a healthier dynamic if @paradisedisconcert is still making their shy little guy

-He’s had multiple unnecessary surgeries done. He’s had organs removed and replaced that were perfectly healthy. He has to have a very specific diet not to aggravate his system after all that’s been done to try and “fix” him.

-Because of this, he has to exclusively eat plain, tasteless food. He misses sweets.

-Tends to wander with seemingly no goal, aimlessly picking petals off of flowers or staring at seemingly nothing

-Before he goes to sleep, he has a routine of pressing his fingers against different spots on his torso to feel if anything is inside that shouldn’t be or otherwise missing. He does this again when he wakes up.

-They’re very interested in his peers and sometimes follows them around without saying anything.

-He and Naz used to be friends, but Naz slowly became freaked out by Yael and pushed him away.

-His hair is always cut short and straightened when he comes back from a visit home. His guardian is wealthy and likes him looking as clean and presentable as possible. Naturally, his hair is curly.

-Left-handed.

-Takes a lot of strange medicines every day that switch out frequently. He has to take them crushed in his food since he can’t swallow pills.

-Born female but leaned more androgynous and masculine as a young child, so they grew up as such.

-Wants to help others but often goes about it the wrong way.

-Their guardian, Aligri, has never sent any humans to Anakt Garden before Yael, who was sent very, very young.

-He has a very blank look about him most of the time.

-Can often be heard singing strange, unfamiliar melodies and words under his breath—he sees singing as ritualistic. He’s never known a life in death without it.

-In addition to Macbeth and Inna, he’s also interested in Naz, Kioku, Yume, Xael, Numa, Sebastian, and Yumi (subject to be added onto, obviously)

-He never really seems happy or childlike, just listless.

-He once had an incident where he almost drowned in the stream in Anakt Garden. He wandered there and was found facedown in the water by a classmate. He was pulled out and had to be revived.

-He had to wear a collar after that.

[imperfectnothing]

jiu recoiling in disgust like an old traditional victorian man whenever he sees asukas ripped uniform pants. send tweet

this is so immensely funny, Para. i love you so much. I love jiu looking away in horror whenever asuka walks by *just* because of asuka's pants

i just. wanted to doodle this out quickly so sorry that Jiu doesn't look perfectly he's hard to capture the essence of, I will admit . . .

[sotogalmo]

5:40 am

Just remembering the funger OC au. I added Jiu & Kioku! Their forms are coming along well and such!,, if that's ,, alright with @solei-eclipse ,,

But man. I'm doing like. 30+ characters-

And I'm also thinking of doing part two of the post. So :3, stay tuned for when I do release the moonscorch forms out in the wild, and when I start making a part two of it

Edit: I do want to say I have their names already figured out! Jiu's "Tied Up"(another word for Duty) and Kioku's "Out Of The Way"(another word for uncanny or just weird)

[cirrusoftheclouds]

Miscellaneous Juliet things with bad anatomy because I'm tired

She's fully aware that she is scripted to die and has long since given up trying to escape her fate. But this resulted in her being in a constant state of dread. She has rather horrid anxiety... not that she'd let anyone see that side of her. That's the thing about Romeo and Juliet, it's a tragedy in the end, no matter how you frame it.

Her guardian doesn't treat her well if she messes up.

She is rather fond of Kioku (@solei-eclipse , sorry for ping !) and would refer to her as 'my lady' :)

She's one of my most tragic ocs :sob:

[neverforgetyou]

"teehee! now the whole universe knows you like it! i'm so happy!"

kioku by @severedscales

[season40]

hello! para here!! so excited for the new season, and I'm really grateful that you took up this duty :) your efforts are greatly appreciated!

for round matchup requests, I'd actually like to ask the opposite and request that my kio and jiu aren't paired up with each other for the first rounds, if that's okay?

I know they probably won't end up against each other yet anyway, but I'm sending this just in case the random matchups pit them together too early.

thank you in advance for whatever your answer may be! cheers to the new season!

hello para!!! thank you so much for your sweet words...

i think jiu and kio could definitely be paired up later! though it really isn't up to me, it's up to zen ( @zerostyrant ) because he's the one setting up the s40 brackets. i believe it's me, zen, and plip doing things for s40 since it's a real big season?

thanks for asking! <3

[severedscales]

let them bury the side of the story they'll never learn.

[solei-eclipse]

[lookatmysillies]

[ A wild Kioku approaches Yael ! ]

HEY! Man, are you okay?

I heard you nearly drowned in the river! That's not good at all obviously, and I should know! I've fallen into my fair share of rivers. I saw a green-haired kid fish you out, though, which I'm grateful for. I've only just recently arrived and I'm no good at remembering names, so I couldn't tell you who it was. I'm sorry.

I don't really know you all that well, but I think you should eat something. The other kids tell me to be careful with you, and I've seen you pat your body pretty often, so I'm worried you might have health issues.

Here, take this jelly. It's plain, so hopefully it won't bang up your innards or anything. Don't even worry about where I got it! Haha. Ha. It's super important to eat and gain at least a little more strength! Maybe it'll help you out in the future! you know, with the falling or fainting and drowning stuff... I wonder how you ended up there...

Anyway, I know this is super sudden, but I kinda know what almost-drowning feels like, too. I just wanted to try and help a little bit. I'm not really sure how to do it properly... I just want you to feel better. I hope you can feel better.

Oh, the teacher is coming... I'm gonna run now, see you around!

Hiiii!! This is Para!! Sorry for all that, I just thought it would be silly. I'm here to ask what Yael thinks of Kioku! He's a super interesting character to me, and while you've already explained a bit of his thoughts on Kio, I'd like to ask if you could share any more/explain further? If it's okay with you! The whole angel thing was particularly intriguing...

Love your characters as always, and I truly do enjoy learning more about them :)

[Yael stares back at Kioku with wide eyes like she’s just given him the world rather than a single somewhat unremarkable jelly.]

Oh! Yes, um, it was an accident. A bad one, but I’m still here… Can tells me he’s the one who found me, and I’ll take his word for it. He seems like he would do something like that…

Sorry you’ve fallen into water a lot, too. Drowning feels stranger than I would’ve imagined. A lot worse. Thank you for the food, it almost tastes a little bit sweet if I hold it in my mouth for a while! You really are an angel. [He says this very seriously, though it flies over Kioku’s head. He’s quiet for a moment.]

I hope maybe we can talk more and—oh, yes, go ahead. Goodbye Kioku! The teacher’s probably here to take me for another useless checkup.

Hiii Para! Thanks for dropping this in my inbox, Kioku’s adorable face was the best thing to wake up to earlier today 🥺 To expand on Yael’s thoughts on Kioku a bit, I’ll establish some comparisons with his other fundamental relationships to give you a reference point:

He has the strongest feelings for @paradisedisconcert’s Can and @alien-til-i-stage’s Macbeth and Innamorati, Can being his purest relationship, Macbeth more muddled, and Inna just. Ridiculous. Who even knows

Add Kioku to this bunch of people he takes an especially strong interest in once she arrives, Kio being a person he looks up to and believes wholeheartedly in (due to misguided reasons, but there nonetheless).

He thinks of her as an Angel; Macbeth as Death; Can as Life; and Innamorati as personal Salvation. Kioku and Macbeth both represent “selfless” ideals: He adores Kioku because he believes she is here to save them from their eternal prison—not just to save him, but ALL of them. He truly believes she’s filled with all the good in the world and she can do no wrong in his eyes. His feelings about her are misguided but pure in nature. He also mixes up romantic and platonic feelings a lot, and she is the only one of these 4 he doesn’t feel confused about. I’ve mentioned that he’s subconsciously drawn to unhealthy relationships, Can being (for the most part anyway) an exception. Kioku is too good to have those kinds of feelings for, in Yael’s mind.

His perception of Kioku as an angel is different from his idea of Can as life or Inna as salvation. Can and Inna are what he perceives as his “selfish” ideals. Can isn’t holy or angelic in his eyes, but rather incredibly human; flawed and damaged, proof of their existence. Yael views his own existence, simply existing for himself, as selfish, and Can encourages living for himself. Inna is Yael’s personal salvation from his own mistake of playing a part in Macbeth’s death; Macbeth, who he believed was supposed to die and be free. He missed him so badly and questioned if it would be better for him to still be with him. He can’t change it, though, so he seeks absolution from the last piece of Macbeth there is.

Yael creates his own Saints in his head and Kioku is one of them. She represents a twisted sort of hope to him, and he wants to protect her and help her with whatever she needs to repay her for descending to Anakt Garden.

Thank you for the ask, I love yapping about the children. I love your characters too, I’m excited to learn more about Jiu and Kioku! That said if Jiu hurts her I will be seen on the news

[imperfectnothing]

ROCK I SNORTED. MENTO HAVING A LITTLE CRUSH ON KIO WHILE KIO SISTER-ZONES HER 😭😭😭 IM SO SORRY

HJHAHHAH NO THAT'S SO FUNNY THOUGH. . .

something something karmic justice- no I'm kidding but really, I think that Mento would have a crush on her for like. a year and then she gets over it and after that, they have a more sisterly relationship. . . Mento really does just think of Kio as a cool older sister 😔 takes her a minute to realize that though.

(It's kinda similar to the way that Nyx eventually has a more sibling relationship with Kyo but Nyx had a crush on Kyo for a while . . . it's not unheard for w/my ocs lmao. my ocs: the yearnerrrs)

[sotogalmo]

7:59

The children of dreams, in the belovedness of cherry blossoms. Showing the dance of the princess lily. The shining moon, overlapping with swaying flowers. — Star Lily Dance Performance, by MASA WORKS DESIGN

Kioku belongs to solei-eclipse / Yume belongs to me

Based off of this

Art by fkuulk !!!! . .. Absolutely love their covers .. they NAIL the ATMOSPHERE so Good. Their cover of Beheading Dance cover SCARES me/pos

Sorry for the weird lighting "" — @tsukacchako for the yume art

[severedscales]

She's going to hate me for this.

It wouldn't be the first time. Though, I doubt she remembers what happened back then, what it was that made her loathe me so. Everything between us must have evaded her memory. She'll only be able to remember me by how I am now, and what I'm about to do to her beloved Juliet.

Juliet... even her namesake sings of tragedy. Her gentle poise dressed in flowing white, the spitting image of a sacrificial lamb. Sweet and pure. Bound by thorned vines like cattle wrapped in rope. The people will always love the underdog, especially when dressed so sweetly and sympathetically. Standing next to her, I'd appear a stone-cold killer. Fitting, isn't it? It's like we play roles, she and I. The runaway princess and the huntsman seeking to carve out her heart.

Yet I mustn't let my guard down, not even once. I'm always wary of what might be a wolf parading in sheep's clothing. Though Juliet herself is a dainty, mild woman, I won't rule out the possibility that our match will be cutthroat.

Nevertheless, I need to do this. I have someone I desperately need to do this for.

She was always a curious girl, that Kioku. There's no doubt she'll be watching us, eyes fixed on her lovely pink lamb and praying for her victory. Very well, then. Watch on and watch closely, Kio. It's never wise to assume the winner before the final hour, but if by Anakt's grace it happens to be me, you'll eventually learn that everything I've done has been for you.

And if I die... after everything, I suppose it's what I'd deserve.

Juliet belongs to: @cirrusoftheclouds