Koji Kato

Koji Kato is a character role-played by NodaChiro.
== Background Information ==
In a distant city, Koji Kato started as a trusted man named Koji Kaneshiro. He made a lot of friends; ones that he could depend on, and ones that he could spend time with for long periods. Unknown to others, he had a hidden pain: loneliness, a pain that would not leave him. When his dear friend disappeared from his life, he was very emotional, to the point of attempting to end his own life.
Koji survived the attempt to end his life, but was gravely injured from the fall. He woke up to find himself at Pillbox, and was told by the doctors that he needed to stay for a few week to rest. However, Koji opted to remove himself, and escaped the ward using a different identity. After destroying the blue attire he previously wore, he opted to change into all red clothing - calling himself the Ombre Rouge, or the Red Shadow.
=== Ghost Tour Incident ===
Koji attempted to host a “Ghost Tour” gathering attention at Legion Square, and taking 10 people to an old Ranch up in Sandy Shores. Instead of touring around the building, he instructed the men and women to split up into different locked rooms, and gave no one the keys. This allowed Koji to act on his motive to murder each person, and "relieve his pain". His plan was stopped by a fellow friend named Dustin, who believed that Koji was not “possessed”, but was being controlled by his own emotions of pain and suffering.
Koji walked away from the situation, but the others followed him, and wondered if he was alright. Someone ended up striking Koji with a flashlight on the back of his head, resulting in him falling unconscious. Koji was transported to the hospital, and taken into the Emergency Room. The doctors believed that he fell into a heavy coma, after being struck by a blunt object. The hospital threw Koji out on the streets, and he was found by a man named Shinji Kato.
=== Amnesia and Rescue ===
Four months later, Koji woke up with no memory of himself, nor his past. An unknown male had been taking care of his health, and watching over him - revealing himself as Shinji Kato, an underground doctor. Shinji told Koji a bit about his past; Koji was once a tarot card reader, and lived on the streets. The cards he had possessed were kept in storage by Shinji, and the card that that he found in Koji’s pocket was The Wheel of Fortune. Shinji used this card on Koji to restore parts of his memories of when he was a card reader.
=== Tarot Cards ===
When Koji reads a person their cards, he has a small chance of remembering his past. Remembering can be terrifying, as it reveals itself through violent dreams. While he hopes to restore the memories he lost, the fear continues to circulate in his soul. Koji also deals with an ancient form of magic, which he hides from most people. He is able to craft crystals (using amethyst and charcoal) that can ward spirits away from others, or be used as a charm for luck.
== A New Journey ==
In Fall of 2018, Koji journeyed to a new city that was identical to his previous residence. During his flight, he found a suitcase with all of the information about himself, his supposed boyfriend (who was chasing after him to kill him), and a weathered deck of cards. He knew Shinji left these cards for Koji to accompany him in his journey, and to restore his memories. As Koji had no memory of his last name, he opted to use Shinji as his new surname.
Koji was able to start a new life where no one knew who he was. He often looked back on the other town, but knew that he did not belong there anymore. Did he make the right decision to move away? This question circulated in his mind. One day, a client from his part-time taxi service recognized who he was. The client was Bob Pipette, a man from Koji’s past. Bob said he was doing fine, and remembered Koji. As Koji journeyed around the city, he met May Jenkins, who worked at the Gift Shop in Pillbox Hospital. Koji told her about his sexuality, and she accepted him without question.
=== First Card Readings ===
Later in the week, he ran into two suspicious characters that ended up robbing him. One of them was identified as Pete Jones by Trooper Rodgers, while the other man remained a mystery. Although nervous to take up tarot card readings in the county of Los Santos, Koji attempted to give it a try one night. Koji received a call from May - she was curious about the cards. He had no transportation, so she took him to where he wanted to do the reading. During the reading, he received a call from Matt Rhodes (who ran the Recycling Center), and Koji agreed to read Matt's cards as well.
The next day, Koji was contacted by Pixie Plum, a psychiatrist, and Murphy Braun, an attorney, to read their cards. Koji did not do well with groups of more than four people, so he found himself nervous, and not doing his job correctly. The guard that Braun put up also made it very intimidating for Koji to focus, and caused anxiety. This led to Koji revealing his true story to May, as she was a very understanding individual in Koji's eyes.
=== Short Romance ===
Work was slow for Koji after his unexpected start with tarot card readings. He began to wander around alone, as he previously did in his last city. One evening, Koji decided to visit May’s Gift Shop for a sandwich and a drink. May informed him that she liked being a matchmaker, and so she decided to try and match Koji with a man named Jacob Martinez, a lawyer.
After spending two days with Martinez, Koji broke ties with him. Koji knew that something was shady about him, and it turned out that Martinez was a known pathological liar (such as Martinez blaming every accident he got into on Murphy Braun.)
== Continuing: The Fate Changed ==
Koji continued to wander the city to find a purpose, but he knew that he was likely stuck as an informant. He loved collecting information, as it was his only way to stay safe. He knew that if he got into danger again that Jin would emerge - a personality that Koji assumed following a suicide attempt.
Koji left the city the week before November 14th, 2018. He prepared for a pilgrimage between temples in order to understand the meaning of the cards he possessed. When he returned, it was announced that May was dead. Koji recalled a task that May had asked him to do, and that unfortunately he was unable to fulfill before her death. With no purpose to follow, and anxiety levels rising, he stopped reading tarot cards all together. The death of May triggered Koji to leave the city, in fear that he could potentially die if people knew he was affiliated with her.
== Chains Broken ==
After witnessing the stabbing of Alexia, a fragment of Koji's past was restored - activating a taste for blood. He often had dreams where a male (assumed to be his boyfriend) was running in front of him, and was stabbed by an unknown female. The same dream would play repeatedly throughout the night, every time Koji dreamed about it. Koji spoke to Kizzy Neveah about his dreams, and the sudden bloodthirst. Kizzy told Koji that "What matters is who Koji is now." However, Kizzy was surprised that Koji's last name was not his, but that of his caretaker's.
Koji saw Siz Fulker the next day, accompanied by two unknown males, and an elderly lady. Wanting a reaction, Koji walked into the clothing store, and assumed that Siz did not remember anything from the previous day's event. Siz entered the Vanilla Unicorn to retrieve some money, and inspect the property. At the time, Siz's membership (and partial ownership) was still valid. However, another group had since occupied the property, and were conducting a fortune-telling session. 
The group's security told Siz to leave, despite his membership and partial ownership to the property. Siz refused to remove himself, and insulted one of the women within the group. Siz ended up being forcibly removed by security, and was then punched by the woman he insulted. 
Siz later returned to the Vanilla Unicorn, and stabbed the woman in her back with his knife. This act of lethal violence resulted in an altercation, resulting in Siz being tased and handcuffed. While Siz was handcuffed, he was beaten, once again tased, heavily injured, healed, and then arrested.
 Koji was ignored by this group when he tried to communicate with them, thus marking the group as an enemy to be weary of.
Business as a tarot reader had been slow for Koji, and he began to work at the Recycling Center again. He also tried to stay safe, and keep an eye on the Vanilla Unicorn, in case Siz showed up again. The hunger for blood had been reduced in Koji's mind, but he still stayed on his toes. Koji had been given a task to deal with business out of the city for a few weeks, and was expected to return soon.
== Another Future ==
After receiving a letter from Shinji regarding the next "pilgrimage", Koji decided to work on providing fortune to those around him. In this case, Nora Dupres, a frequent client of Koji, noticed Koji was in town one night. He asked her to meet him within the Cathedral, behind the wall of the pedestal.
As he was shuffling the cards for Nora, he stumbled upon her troubling past of being trapped, and uncertainty of her actions. He decided to leave the uncertainty out in her reading, as it would only trouble her more. He described her past as a time of loss. Moving towards the present, he discovered that a bond was made between two entities, which was described as a possible connection or relationship. He also discovered that Nora was trying to uphold authority in the city, and in her line of business. He believed that it has been an arduous road for her, and ensured her that she should keep moving.
Towards the future, Koji revealed to her that there had been a disturbance within the "aetherial mist" that had altered the future for her. Instead of the path of "three souls meeting only the road of death", he "witnessed" a group of individuals plotting to murder Nora. Their identities were unknown, and had presumably acted low-key, under the disguise of law-abiding citizens. Koji also saw that a conflict between Nora and one of her friends would not resolve immediately, and that she needed to allow for time to pass. Nora asked if her ex-husband and herself would be getting back together; and Koji replied that it would take a considerably long amount of time to reconcile, and he would be stubborn.
The reading with Nora had ended. Before Nora left, Koji wanted to give her a crystal which was infused with otherworldly energy. Koji told her that the intent of the crystal was to ward evil spirits away. In her case, bad luck - as Nora said. However, Koji told Nora that she would need to use it someday in the future. Nora began to leave the cathedral, and Koji uttered to himself "Farewell, Nora."
== Surprised ==
Koji had returned from a two month pilgrimage, which was tiring and mesmerizing. He received a call from Gunn about a reading, and perhaps a chat. He learned from Gunn that the city has been chaotic since the "second district" was shut down. She spoke about the everyday cycle of the "main district". Koji was surprised that the city had not changed. Unfortunately, the train rides to the "main district" made it impossible for Koji to return after this meeting with Gunn.
Koji was able to get a train ride to the city again in the month of August, 2019. He learned about another tarot reader, and was intrigued to check out the other reader's work. He rang up Ryan Carthus, and asked if he could get a reading from him, to which Ryan agreed upon. On his way, Ryan called Koji to tell him that he had been in an accident, and would have to postpone for next time. Recently, he was able to get a fairly accurate reading from Ryan.
== Accept or Escape Fate ==
Koji got a call from Nora Dupres about coming to see him for a reading. Koji was glad to hear from Nora after undergoing two month's worth of pilgrimage. He told her to meet him at the Church in Vinewood. She mentioned to him about another tarot reader that was in the city doing the same work as he did. However, she preferred to meet with Koji, rather than meeting another tarot reader. She trusted Koji with her future in a sense, as he was always accurate. As much as he liked using the Church to perform tarot readings, he asked that if he and her could go to the Chumash Pier. He believed that the Chumash Pier was an appropriate place to not only perform the reading, but to have a private conversation. Prior to their meetup, Nora did tell Koji that she needed to keep a low profile.
On their drive to Chumash, Koji had wondered how the city was when he was away... if it had changed or stayed the same. He recalls that Gunn told him that the city lived in a time where the same actions are performed in a cycle of each day. Unfortunately, Nora told Koji that the city's situation was a lot worse than it was in June, 2019. Koji asked why Nora had to lay low. Her title as ADA, and a prosecutor for 3 upcoming cases, called for her to lay low to avoid being hunted. Koji understood what she meant, and recalled a similar situation from his past with being hunted down by a group.
At Chumash, Koji asked if Nora had been to the pier before, and Nora responded with distaste that she had. Koji loved Chumash, because it reminded him of his past. It was always silent; he could sleep all day at Chumash if he wanted to. Climbing up to the top stage of the pier, both began to speak about the conversations they had prior to Chumash, while Koji shuffled the cards for her. It was then that Nora learned more about Koji himself. Reading the future often was a risk for Koji himself, due to possible memory loss, and potentially death. Koji assured Nora that he will do his best to try to stay alive as long as he can. He warned "Life is not eternal. I know I have to go soon and I can't stop it even if I wanted to."
Starting the reading; Koji begins to tell her: (Note: Koji's readings start with Past, Present, and Future.)
* Past - She was in state of confusion with her identity. It was a period of time where she was lost, with no idea who she was. She has come out to seek advice to others about her identity. There was a long period of time where she felt lonely, without anyone to keep her company. It was a time of solitude which allowed her to work quietly without distractions.
* Present - She has been longing for a connection with one and another. Though her previous connection (relationship) had ended in failure, the feeling of wanting a relationship still lies in ache in her heart. Again, it can relate to friendship and reconnecting with those she's been with. Nora is trying to balance her day-to-day life as a regular civilian, and ADA. It has been going alright for her. At the same time, she faces danger of those that lurk in the shadows for her.
* Future - Her future has two paths. Neither path was good for her, as it would always end with pain and suffering. In order for Nora to picture these paths, Koji asked her to close her eyes for this part. He told her to envision herself sitting on a cliff by a tree, with the seas in the distance to calm herself, before the actual Paths were stated.
* Path 1 - A big conflict with a person of high authority would come in her wake. It was made known that groups of people are lurking around in the city, in hopes of capturing her based on orders by this high authoritative person. One won't be able to stop this person, as they are very dangerous to handle. This path would lead to her death; to be thrown into the sea, and be drowned out by the waves.
* Path 2 - A person whom was very close to her will be used to lure out Nora. If she fails to come out to see said person, this person would be heavily injured, to the point where their sacrifice meant nothing to their cause. Nora would be in a state of emotional distress, which may cause her to question herself. The light at the end of the tunnel for her was very dim based on those events.
Nora knew that her death was near. She wanted to see if the cards confirmed it, and slightly, it did. She knew that she had to prepare, and live her life out as much as she can.
Nora hugged Koji and said "Goodbye, Koji."
==Comatose? Not Anymore.==
For three months, Koji fell into a deep coma after grieving the loss of his friend Nora Dupres. When he awoken, he was told that the city needed a tarot reader again as Ryan Carthus was supposedly going on a long vacation for an unknown duration and reason. He was told that people, his regular clients, did not like how Ryan read their cards and it seemed like he was reading an excerpt out loud to them at most times. Koji was surprised and not surprised that Carthus had been taken away.
For a long time, Koji felt very discouraged to deal with normal tarot reading and chose to become an Oracle (reads only the future) than to dwell on reading past and present. He felt that it was in his best interest for all of the city and to be safe from the evil forces who might use him. It was also mainly the fact that people preferred Ryan as Koji was not around much before to present readings to others. Koji disappearing for months caused people to forget who he was.
== Return Once More, but For How Long? ==
After disappearing for seven months, Koji had decided to come back after the heat and painful memories faded away. He wanted to start anew as nobody but a few remember of him. He wandered around and tried to do what he did: "Give readings to people and try to help them." 
His day-to-day life changed when he met a man named Tobi Argent and had hit it off with him shortly thereafter. Although he had only just met Tobi, Koji seemed like he could trust the man and slowly get to know him. He did not want the same mess (i.e. Jacob Martinez) to happen again so Koji is taking it slow in terms of building a friendship with another. This way, he learns more about a person over time rather than a simple date.
Koji won the raffle at Zee's for a half-off yearly discount at Quick Fix.
In a search for a side job, Koji was hired as an intern for Lot Q as he knew that Tobi worked there at one point. When Tobi heard from Koji that he was working there, Tobi was against Koji working at Q because certain individuals lost their lives to others on that lot. Tobi tried to persuade Koji to try to find other jobs (i.e. working as a mechanic, EMS) but Koji assured Tobi that he wouldn't be standing around at Lot Q all day since he loves traveling to secluded parts of the city to deal with oracle business afterwards.
The next day, Koji learned that there was a "war" between Lot Q and Lot T and has taken necessary measures to distance himself away from the Lot.
== Disappearance ==
Hours before the calamity on February 2nd 2021, Koji disappeared from the face of the earth. It is unknown where or who he is now. It is speculated that he is alive but assuming a different identity for the time being. Or has chose to travel elsewhere than to go to the new city. It is possible that he is still tending to his injuries the night before that day.
== The Long Journey Ends -3.0- ==
For nine long months, Koji traveled the world outside of the city. During those times, he has lost the drive to read into the future due to extreme stress that someone or something will end terribly. He left his Oracle Cards in his weathered pocket chest and sealed it away. He believed that reading people was no longer a hobby that he could enjoy. He wanted to make a change in his life. The change would be to try something that he would never had done before and perhaps settle down finally. He hoped that the "barrier" that prevented him from entering the city lifted and that it did.
The journey begins in the city of secrets and the search of fulfillment. It will be daunting to enter a city where he knows no one. He hopes to run into old acquaintances along the way.
== Relationships ==
=== Jacob Martinez ===
Was once Koji's date, set up by May, until he realized Martinez was a pathological liar.
=== May Jenkins ===
An acquaintance that Koji considered as a "old friend" when he first came to the city. Koji enjoyed May's company, be it the hospital or by the Kortz Center. He saw that she had potential of transforming the city's citizens, refusing to change the fate that was set for her. He chose not to involve himself with her matters nor her requests. Koji knew that her "authority" or rather "huge presence" in the city would meet dire consequences in the end. When Koji heard that May had passed, he guilt himself, resulting in him disappearing from the city for several months.
=== Matt Rhodes ===
Owner of the Recycling Center, Koji finds Matt as a friend after having met for a short period. Koji had a slight crush on Matt.
=== Kizzy Neveah ===
Koji considers her as a friend, and as a "guidance counselor" when he needs assistance in decision-making or figuring out the past.
=== Gunn Seffora Devereaux ===
Koji considers Gunn as an acquaintance, as she had provided him a place for his tarot readings. He usually tries to help Gunn out when it comes to information relevant to the Vanilla Unicorn, such as the Siz incident.
=== Nora Dupres ===
Koji often met Nora as a client. She trusted Koji's readings a lot, as it has helped her life as a lawyer/ADA, as well as relationships.
=== Billy Francis ===
Koji often met Billy at the Recycling Center, and had decent conversations with him.
=== Zee Mathers ===
Frequent client and friend. Loves her food and community approach to making others enjoy food with others.
=== Tobi Argent ===
Current love interest. Met and witnessed an explosion by Lot Q, had hit it off since then. Considers Tobi as a good person.
== References ==
Category:Characters
Category:Male