Application for route_29

Player
Name: Mad
Personal Journal: koohii
E-mail: madchansan@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: koohii
Timezone: GMT +1
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Kaori Miyazono
Series: Your Lie in April
Timeline: Post-series
Canon Resource Links: There's Kaori's entry at the wiki, but it's kind of sparse on information, so I'll try to cover the most important events that take place in the series.

Major spoilers for the series' ending ahead! This time around spoilers aren't whited out!

As a child, Kaori wanted to become a pianist—at least until she went to a certain music recital at which she got to listen to Kousei Arima's music. That changed her whole world and made a decision that instead of a pianist, she'd become a violinist and have Kousei be her accompanist eventually.

When she learned that they were going to attend junior high school together, Kaori was really excited, but couldn't find a way to approach him. Besides, since she always were rather feeble and was suffering from an illness, she ended up in hospital fairly often. That's why she decided to tell a lie to one of Kousei's friends named Tsubaki that she had a crush on Ryota Watari, who happened to be Kousei Arima's friend as well.

From that point, Kaori stormed into Kousei's life and did everything she could to make him play the piano again (he gave up playing after his mother's death) and become her accompanist. After Kaori literally flooded Kousei with the music score of the piece she wanted to play during the upcoming violin contest and kept asking him to agree to play with her, he eventually agreed to be her accompanist and they got to play together. However, because Kousei stopped playing in the middle of a piece, they didn't advance to the next round. Kaori didn't give up on him though, and began playing once again, hoping that he'd join her, which he did.

Just a little while after their performance, Kaori lost consciousness. She was hiding the fact that she was ill and lied to her friends that she had anemia because she had been working too hard lately. When her condition was better, she was discharged and the very first thing she did was to wait for Kousei to meet him on his way home. Since they she had gotten disqualified from the violin contest because of him, she wanted him to grant her one wish—Kousei had to take part in a piano contest himself. He was reluctant to do so, but in the end he just couldn't refuse her, entered the piano contest and advanced to the next round.

Some time after, Kaori received a special invitation to a Gala Concert because even though they hadn't advanced into the next round, they had received the audience reward. However, on that day, Kaori didn't arrive at the venue and Kousei had to perform alone. It was revealed later that Kaori had fallen down, hit herself on the head, lost consciousness and was hospitalized again.

One day, she just appeared out of nowhere at the school's entrance and made Kousei help her when she was shopping for things. She wanted to go with Watari, but he went home already, so Kousei was appointed as his substitute. In the evening, Kaori admitted that she wasn't discharged from the hospital yet and could just go out for one day.

From that point, Kaori's health condition started to deteriorate (she even spent two weeks in the ICU), that's why she made a decision to undergo a surgery which may prolong her life, but there's little chance that she'd survive it. Nevertheless, Kaori wanted to take the risk because of Kousei; she wanted to play with him one more time.

Coincidentally, Kaori's surgery and the final round of the piano contest Kousei had entered were due on the same day. The surgery was unsuccessful and Kaori passed away. Although, she left Kousei a letter in which she explained that she had been admiring him since the first time she had heard him play the piano and that she lied about having a crush on Watari just to get close to him, the person she truly loved.

Personality:

Even though Kaori wasn't aware about it for some time, due to her illness she had been always constrained by time, which greatly influenced her personality. She used to be a shy, quiet girl, but when she realized that she had little time left she decided to live her life to the fullest from now on. The change she underwent was a fundamental one—not only did she change her appearance (she began wearing contacts, for example), but also her behavior. She was no longer quiet and withdrawn, but energetic and free-spirited. Moreover, she told a lie which changed her life even further and guided her to Kousei Arima, whom she had been admiring for quite some time.

Be it because of the time running out or not, Kaori is really passionate about everything she does. It can be mostly seen when she's playing the violin; her performances are never the same, never boring. Always keeping in mind what she wants to convey through her music, she never fails to enchant the audience she's playing for. The same can't be said about the musicians in the jury, who are usually negative about her interpretations. However, it doesn't bother Kaori much—she just wants to play her music, nothing more.

Actually, the way she plays the violin can be considered a reflection of her personality: she doesn't follow the music score when she's playing shows as carefree she can be, even in front of professional musicians. It applies to everyday situations as well—for example, even though she has been discharged from the hospital, she jumps into the river despite her condition. It's one of the most vibrant examples, but it pictures how unbothered Kaori can be.

There's simply no way to predict what Kaori's up to—she'll stray on her way home just to chase a cat because she wants to pet it, she'll pop up out of nowhere to take her friend out shopping. Actually, Kousei sometimes compares her to a cat because of how she is. Why does she do all these things, though? Her motivation becomes quite clear as her health condition deteriorates. Kaori simply wants people to remember her after she'll be gone, which is the reason that explains most (if not all) of her actions. She's aware that if she doesn't do something, her fear that she'll be forgotten won't be just a fear but may become reality. However, she doesn't want the whole world to remember her—as long as Kousei Arima won't forget her, it'll be enough. That's why she had to told the lie and get closer to him.

Since Kaori's a person to go her own way, she doesn't have many friends. Her only ones would be Kousei, Tsubaki, and Watari, actually. She values them, supports them as best as she can (she's especially pushy when it comes to Kousei) and enjoys spending time with them, but doesn't let them know about her illness which may mean she doesn't trust them enough and/or doesn't want to be of a burden. Besides, she's not a person who would like someone else to pity her.

Another reason why Kaori might not want to tell her friends everything is because she's selfish. Aware that Tsubaki who's in love with Kousei but is oblivious to her feelings at the beginning wouldn't probably introduce her to Kousei, she lies about having a crush on Watari instead. She doesn't realize that she hurt them anyway in the end—when Tsubaki realizes her feelings of Kousei, she gradually stops hanging with Kaori and becomes jealous of her relationship with him. At the same time, Watari seems to develop feelings for Kaori, despite the fact that he's a playboy who's known of dating few girls at once. Let it be because she knows that she'll be gone soon anyway or something else, she didn't consider her friends' feelings and didn't think of the consequences that might occur.

Her intrusiveness is something that makes people (mostly Kousei) uneasy—she can come out really egoistic when she wants to achieve something. Kaori wants Kousei to play the piano again, no matter what. While it was a good choice in the long run, it doesn't mean that it wasn't painful for him. Kaori didn't consider his feelings about playing the piano (his abusive mother made him play all the time and wouldn't do him anything else) and forced him to become her accompanist.

Overall, even though Kaori can be too much sometimes, she's just a fourteen year old girl who doesn't shut herself in but wants to do something memorable instead and live her life to the fullest, without regretting anything. Her illness is her major weakness, but there's more to it, actually—she became strong because of it and made her dream of playing together with Kousei on stage come true.

Strengths/Weaknesses:

+ Hard-working | "Try not to have a good time...this is supposed to be educational."
Kaori has switched from piano to violin which meant a lot of practice because these instruments are so different. She even takes part in violin competitions some time later which proves how much work she had to put into polishing her violin playing skills. Also, when she was in the hospital, she kept exercising her legs during rehabilitation despite the exhaustion.

+ Supportive | "If you can't beat 'em, cooperate 'em to death!"
While she actively supports Kousei by making him practice or attending his performances as they're fellow musicians, she doesn't forget about her other friends, Watari and Tsubaki. Watari is the captain of the school's soccer team and Tsubaki is a member of the baseball team and even though Kaori isn't into sports that much, she cheers on them when she only can.

+ Enthusiastic | "What's the good of living if you don't try a few things?"
Let it be playing the violin, eating sweets, going shopping—even if it's a pretty normal activity, it's very likely that Kaori will be really enthusiastic about it if it's something that piques her interest.

+/- Individual | "Be yourself. No one can say you're doing it wrong."
She always does things her way, which isn't necessarily bad, but it can be overwhelming in a way because she truly just does what she wants and sometimes forgets about the feelings of the other person.

+/- Unpredictable | "People shouldn't be embarrassed just because they get caught acting a little silly."
Kaori's head is filled with some wild ideas. Jumping into the river on a whim is just one of the examples while another one could be sneaking into the school in the evening. She often appears out of nowhere which surprises her friends.

+/- Determined | "There is no greater burden than great potential."
To make her dream of playing together with Kousei come true, she didn't hesitate to lie and that's how determined she can be. She also put a lot of effort to make Kousei realize that he should continue playing the piano because he's really talented. Moreover, she decides to undergo a risky surgery so she could live a bit longer.

- Pushy | "I never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong."
It's difficult to count how many times she made Kousei do what she wanted even though her intentions may have been good. For example, when they were supposed to play during Gala Concert together, she chose to play a piece he didn't like but he forced him to agree with her.

- Short-tempered | "Five hundred years from now, who'll know the difference?!"
She gets irritated fairly quickly, sometimes by the smallest things (like Kousei playing the piano and not putting enough heart into it or him having a disciple instead of practicing more).

- Violent | "I have observed that whenever you try to hit somebody, there is a tendency for them to try to hit you back."
When things don't go her way, Kaori can also get aggressive about it. Kousei who's often the target of her violence (because he doesn't practice enough etc.) often describes her as violent. However, she apologizes for being like that in the letter he received after her death.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Igglybuff
Password: Peppermint Bark

Samples
First Person Sample:

[The video feed begins with a close-up on Kaori's face; she tried asking her Igglybuff to turn it on, but the Pokémon pressed every other button, just not the one that she needed. However, when she makes sure she's on, Kaori jumps away and waves, most certainly holding something behind her back.]

Hey everyone, for those who doesn't know...but I'm pretty sure you all do know me by now...it's Kaori speaking! I've got something special—HEY!

[It's her Igglybuff; she has started walking around Kaori, really curious what's the thing Kaori's hiding. It becomes clear what is it after Igglybuff snatches it from her hand: it's a Poké Flute. The Pokémon examines it for a short while and tries blowing into it.]

Trying to steal my spotlight, huh? Well, back on topic! I'm still trying to learn how to play it but honestly, it's not that difficult! I think I may start taking requests, soon...just let me know what you'd like to hear! And promise, it'll be better than this...

[All this time her Igglybuff is still blowing into the flute, but saying that's a nice melody would be an exaggeration. Well, she can sing, at least! Her hearing is actually quite good as well, so she just uses pound on Kaori's leg.]

OUCH—! Hey, practice makes perfect!

Third Person Sample:

For Kaori, it was the very first time she was supposed to sleep outside, under the night sky. Due to her condition, her parents wouldn't let her go camping with her friends and she had missed most of the school trips anyway. Obviously, she could just stay the night at the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center, but she would have to use her sleeping bag sooner or later, so why not make a use of it sooner? Although it was a little scary—she couldn't really see anything that was further than twenty steps away and she could hear many different sounds she hadn't heard ever before—but at the same time it seemed really exciting, too.

When she finally decided on a good spot (which happened to be a glade far from the main path), Kaori threw her backpack onto the ground and let her Pokémon—Igglybuff—out of the Pokéball. Having some company would definitely make it more fun and less scary was what she seemed to think. Igglybuff, energetic as usual, was really thrilled to be able to walk around freely.

"Just don’t go too far away, okay? I’ll prepare everything in the meantime…" Kaori asked as she rolled the sleeping bag on the ground. Naively thinking that Igglybuff would listen, she began to search for some food for both of them in her bag and didn’t pay attention to her Pokémon for a while.

It was enough for Igglybuff to wander off; when Kaori realized that she was gone, she stood up from the ground and started looking around… she could barely see anything in the dark, though, so that made it far more difficult.

Then, she heard a commotion in the nearby bushes and when she walked closer, she saw them shaking. If it was a wild Pokémon she was done for. And her journey had only started…! Kaori took a few steps away from the bushes and closed her eyes, preparing for the worst...

When she opened them again, she realized that the cause of the commotion was her own Igglybuff and another Pokémon that looked just like a bunny. The bunny Pokémon seemed to be chasing Igglybuff, so in order to escape, she jumped into Kaori’s arms. However, when the wild Pokémon noticed a trainer, it scurried away back into the bushes.

"Oh, no...it was such a cutie, too!” She whined and earned herself a light tackle from the Igglybuff. “Of course not as cute as me or you! Don’t be so jealous! Do you think we’ll meet it again?!"

Igglybuff just puffed her cheeks as she looked up at Kaori. It was more than enough for an answer.