KIKU HONDA ・ country

[KIKU HONDA]

KIKU HONDA・本田菊
Japan・日本

Are you a Nation or a Counterpart?:
Nation

Your Name:
Kiku Honda・本田菊

Your Nation's Full Name:
Japan・Nippon-koku・日本国

Age:
He's a bit sensitive about his age and considers himself to be an old man, but I'll let you in on a secret: he's approximately 2670 years old.

Sex:
♂・Male

Physical Description:
Despite his old age, Kiku has the appearance of a fairly young man. There is a lack of sag of skin around his bones, and virtually no wrinkles on his face. Though wrinkles do tend to appear on Kiku’s light (by Japanese standards, tanned by Western) skin when his thin lips turn downwards and his eyebrows, which are naturally trim, are drawn together. Occasionally, a lack of sleep with long nights spent in front of the computer form heavy, dark bags under Kiku’s dark brown, almost black eyes that have been described as ‘soulless’. However, when he smiles (usually it is a small smile that pulls up on the edge of his lips), a certain light comes to his eyes that is nearly indescribable. His cheekbones are high on his face, though only prominent in the right light, and Kiku’s face remains to be relatively round.

Kiku’s hair is black in color, though in certain lights it can be given a dark brown tone. He has kept the same hairstyle for centuries: one that would be considered old-fashioned, curling shortly past his ears in a straight cut manner then layering down to his neck. The bangs are cut straight across right above the eyebrow line. It isn’t unusual for him to spend a great amount of time in front of the mirror in the morning, get his hair just the right way before going out.

While having a short, thin build, Kiku tends to dress professionally: in business suits that are custom sewn for him, in his old military uniforms if the situation calls for it (though he keeps them in a box in the back of the closet these days), or in casual clothes with a hint of formality to them. He does keep up with what is popular with Japanese youth, but it isn’t at an obsessive level, and not to an extent if you picked him out in a crowd he’d be called ‘fashionable’. At home he wears sweatpants and loose t-shirts, and rarely wears traditional Japanese clothes. He may miss it, but he doesn’t mind the modern fashion influenced by westernized cultures.

Personality:
Kiku Honda is a character of peculiarities. While he gives an air of being a calm and even almost passive figure, there are moments where a certain forceful air can come through: he is steadfast by his beliefs, a certain tactile personality with a fondness for Western history. Though he does hold in the back of his head arrogance that he is almost always, if not in every instance, correct, he lets others take command. History has taught him, Kiku believes, that he isn’t one to be at the forefront of the world’s control. For his sake, and the sake of his people. If one were to ask his opinion, in typical Japanese fashion, he would be reluctant to reveal it without a great deal of urging--he feels that others should learn on their owns, without relying on others. However, this leads to a weakness of the nation’s, in which he’ll refuse to ask for help when he is struggling.

Many may feel that Kiku’s polite nature and generous personality may be an act, but it is indeed genuine. Treat others in such a way that you wish to be treated--this is true for Kiku especially, though he rarely comes across another person that meets with it at his level. He offers small tokens of appreciation to his guests, insist they sit down and not help when he fixes a meal, and it could be said he treats them as kings and queens. Kiku remains generally agreeable in conversation, and would like to avoid conflict even if it appears to be unavoidable. Every day, he is trying to make up for his past mistakes and difficulties, though he refuses to speak directly about the atrocities that had occurred when the Pacific sphere was under his power aloud.

He is generally, a hard, almost obsessive, worker (and cleaner), and only shirks away from responsibility when he reaches one of his ‘moods’. These moods attack Kiku face on when he doesn’t really need it, and it isn’t unusual for him to hide away in his house for days with little contact to the outside world. This ‘funk’, as younger Western nations might describe it, are hard to get out of. When he reaches the point of getting out of it, however, his spirit is vibrant, cheerful, and loving. Kiku tries to make up for the time he was gone from the world.

When it comes to his hobbies, Kiku would be described as an ‘otaku’. His love for anime, manga, video games and Japanese popular media is difficult for him to hide in most situations. He avoids bringing it up, because being a nation and obsessed with something to be considered ‘geeky’ is frowned upon, or that is how he sees it. He’s fascinated with European and American history, culture, art and living, and loves to try their foods and to visit the places. He’s almost giddy when he’s a tourist, taking multiple photos with his camera, which is also an additional hobby for him in his free time--along with drawing short manga comics.

Food is also a major part of Kiku's life--he enjoys cooking greatly, especially Japanese food, and sharing it with other people. Though he loves food, he also is afraid of food from other cultures--especially with America's sweets, when they are brightly colored.

Aside from that, Kiku enjoys a side hobby of different types of sword and martial combat inspired from his younger, Feudal Japan days. Though he isn't such an expert at it anymore as he used to be, he won't deny having a playful match with someone or showing off his skill (if there is a lot of urging beforehand).

Likes:

• Socialization
  
• Photography
  
• History
  
• Art
  
• Manga
  
• Anime
  
• Fashion
  
• Architecture
  
• Cleaning
  
• Touring
  
• Vocaloid especially, but any type of music
  
• Technology
  
• Military uniforms
  
• Making lists
  
• Watching movies
  
• Cooking, eating food

Dislikes:

• Making mistakes
  
• Overly loud situations
  
• Forced socialization
  
• Badly cooked food
  
• Timing delays
  
• Writing full of mistakes
  
• Disorganization
  
• Darker moods
  
• Faulty objects
  
• Over arrogance

Fears:

• Existing in a powerless position
  
• Having his country return back to older ways
  
• Being alone, which is an irony, because he occasionally thrives for it
  
• Rejection
  
• Wars, Nuclear Weapons, Blood, Fighting

Strengths:

• Level-minded
  
• Polite
  
• Reading people
  
• Compromiser
  
• Organized
  
• Intelligent

Weaknesses:

• Overly critical, especially with himself
  
• Can't stand up for himself
  
• Apologies too much, or not at all for his actions
  
• Almost appears to be impassive, not caring to people
  
• Awkward at expressing his feeling or thoughts
  
• Non-confrontational

Sample Post:
He sat in consideration of the actions that he should take.

Kiku hadn’t left the house in days. For him, this wouldn’t be considered unusual, in fact, the nations accepted this as a normality. His hikikomori tendencies--while worrying--were just a fact of life. His boss would forward the urgent business to his personal email, where it would be lost with the fan mailing lists and spam notifications about sales from his favorite specialty shops. He would file those away in their own folder to glance at later, and then move the ones from other nations into a file after they had been read.

Not responded to, read.

It would be Alfred mentioning this new movie he wanted to check out, Yong Soo hinting that Yao seemed to have been a bit lonely lately, or Ludwig being the informant about the reduced price tours at Feliciano’s place.

Aware that it was gentle urging, a reminder that he hadn’t been forgotten, Kiku appreciated the sentiment.

The sentiment, however, made himself more nervous to confirm his existence. But it acted as a means of motivation, an opening to leave the house.

He let the water from the nozzle run down his neck as he sat in the bathroom, then soaked in the tub until his hands turned into red prunes. It wasn't difficult to hear his cell phone ringing from the other side of the house as he dried off his hair with a towel, but he didn't bother to glance at it until he wandered back to the enclave that was his room.

An unknown number. Huh. Peculiar.

Nothing worth answering back to.

Random, blind groping in his closet brought out a set of clothes that would be acceptable in public without causing a great amount of attention. Didn't scream clueless. Didn't screech heart throb. Just quietly confirmed his existence.

Kiku slipped into the clothes, gripped onto his cellphone, and muttered to no one in particular, "Ittekimasu," which was met with silence.

Tokyo, while not containing the comfort of his home, promised brilliance.

Personal Information:

Your Name?: Appingo or Ash is just fine.

How may we contact you?: PM and chatbox, I'm almost always on chatango!

Have you read the rules?: ”Ah, one with Russia, is that so...? Haven't we moved past that?"