Fractured

Touhou ~ Distorted Records of Parallel Fantasy (Now Accepting)

Koishi Komeiji | Unrealistically Real Imaginary Friend

• Appearance
  
  
  Koishi is a vibrant, green-haired youkai with a penchant for flowers. She is often seen carrying Kokoro's Mask of Hope. She found it fair and square; it's not her fault that Kokoro lost it and wanted it back. Hasn't she ever heard of finders keepers??
  
  
  Koishi

  
  
  
• Ability
  
  Manipulating That Which Is Unthought
  
  Koishi is able to manipulate and dwell within the subconscious minds of those around her. She can nudge others to temporarily experience the world through their subconscious, often exposing their internal fears and insecurities throughout combat. As a youkai who has no presence in the conscious mind, she can disappear from the perception of others at will, with the exception of small children who have not fully developed their conscious mind. As such, she is often considered a common form of imaginary friend, quickly forgotten as the child grows.
  
  As an entity without a consciousness, Koishi cannot fully experience Gensokyo, instead perceiving her life through the lens of her subconscious mind. A notable exception to this quirk is her ownership of Kokoro's Mask of Hope, which she can use to experience the true emotion of hope and inspire hope in those around her. If she makes her presence known to someone else and then leaves, their memory of the interaction will gradually fade but the feeling of hope will remain. Koishi has the power to possess susceptible minds but is also vulnerable to possession herself.
  
  
• History
  
  
  Koishi is a satori who once held the ability to read minds. After facing years of ridicule and hatred for her gift, she permanently closed her third eye, sealing off her mind—and her ability—forever. Since her decision, she has wandered Gensokyo in search of unique and curious things; one of the more exciting events she experienced was watching her older sister Satori's pet raven obtain the power of the sun and throw the Underworld into disarray. Seeking the same kind of consciousness for her own pets, she climbed Youkai Mountain to pray; at the top, she ran into Reimu and Marisa and engaged in a danmaku battle. Despite her loss, Koishi decided that these interesting humans might be worth knowing, and for the first time longed for her third eye to open.
  
  
• Personality
  
  
  Koishi's thoughts are often a mess of abstract and ethereal constructs. What she lacks in intentionality, she makes up for in her unrelenting authenticity—Koishi places no real filter on her thoughts and struggles to conceal her motivations from others. Her unapologetic honesty has led to several friends and a handful of enemies, most of whom forget the interaction and relationship before the day's end. Koishi spends a great deal of time fighting the loneliness of her non-existence and is delighted when someone in Gensokyo remembers her, even faintly. Since her encounter with the shrine maiden and the witch, she has participated in more danmaku battles; she believes that her opponents' attacks reveal more about their hearts than their minds ever did.
  
  
• Other
  
  
  Koishi has been on bad terms with Kokoro ever since she found and never returned rightfully kept her Mask of Hope.
  
  Koishi recently converted to Buddhism at Byakuren's request, but isn't entirely sure what that means.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

The family might look at that person and see them as a hero. The rich guy might not see it that way. People might praise the fact that the person noticed the family, but they probably wouldn't call the action heroic.

@Balance

Then what's the point of identifying as a hero if it's in the eye of the beholder to begin with? That's just arrogance.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

Not necessarily. It's not a minimum requirement, but I'd look at a person like that and say "Hey, that's a hero."

@Balance

What about a wealthy person who gives up, to them, an insignificant amount to give a poor family enough food to live?

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

Someone who risks their life to save other lives. I didn't mean just any helping.

@Balance

So if it's not a risk to their own life, they can't be a hero?

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

I feel like you wouldn't make much money off of that. I mean, what about all the heroes in the stories who just do what needs to be done when they do it? *Pauses* I guess it's a question of who defines a hero, not what.

@Balance

I think it's too broad to paint everyone who helps someone else as a hero.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Balance>

He’s become a target for lots of parties in Existence. The ones that can afford to target him anyway.

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

Normal people do.

@Heroic

So you can probably get a rush from something not dangerous too.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

What do you think does justify the title?

@Balance

I don't know if anything does. But if I had to choose, I'd probably say someone who professionally helps other people.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

*Shrugs* You never know who'll be a hero and who won't be, until it happens. Don't you think they'd do it again?

@Balance

Probably. But I don't think that it justifies the title.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

Techi and Data have both put their lives on the line for us here and for Existence. I think that makes them heroes.

<Snipped quote by Heroic>

Heh, I guess you could say that. I think Nemid locked onto us more as an accident, though.

@Balance

You can justify most anybody being a hero then.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Fractured>

It’s exotic and somewhat dangerous to a lot of people too.

@Heroic

It usually isn't too dangerous. But they still get a rush from it.