Kurama
Let me state here and now that I had almost no expectation that Kurama would make a husband I would be able to like, or even tolerate well. And yet, he has surprised me. He actually learns to be a better spouse and a more sociable individual. His arrogance and distance stem from his own insecurity. As you continue to live with him, he opens his heart gradually and loses his fear of rejection.
I am starting this with an explanation. One of my dearest friends told me she wanted to marry Kurama. (She is the one who asked me to write a guide for this game as well.)
She wanted me to scout out the territory of nuptial bliss with her chosen partner before she actually went down that path. Although I explained how it works, that one can court every eligible character at the same time and bring them all to the brink of a proposal before you extend the sacred plum branch to any one, she wanted to wait until she had all the goss on Kurama.
There is something about Kurama that rubs me the wrong way. Unlike my beloved Kai who actually cares deeply for Kurama despite the rather insulted dialogues they have together, he could go hang as far as I am concerned for the way he disrespects Kai. However, I understand all too well how the arrogance and casual sneers of the highly intelligent ‘gifted’ nerds actually conceal a profound lack of confidence and inability to pull a girl or guy… oh believe me, my childhood was spent for a major part in segregation with the other ‘gifted’ children and I always felt I would have been better off with the general population learning basic facts about social interactions and what is known as ‘fun’ instead of writing an essay in medieval French and listening to my ‘peers’ make jokes in Latin! So Kurama reminds me far too much of those unhappy days that lingered with the subtle stench of ‘genius’ even into University where some guy started a nasty and unfounded rumour to the effect that I took law books to bed with me.
In any case, I feel some positive details should be near the top of this post in fairness to Kurama. When he tells you something in a voice that is soft and kind and stripped of its usual somewhat pompous arrogance, I do feel marriage to him might be a positive experience. But then he calls out to me: 'You there!'
...and I frown and I remember all the derogatory remarks he makes about Kai. It is a curious relationship though. They obviously are the closest of friends even while trading endless insults. After being wounded by the Godslayer technique, they go together to the Autumn God Shrine to recover.
I wonder what would happen if I kept asking him to take naps. Do points actually decrease or do they just show their disappointment and displeasure?
Another interaction that displeases him is talking about weapons. That surprised me frankly. He is a gamer after all.
The most compelling declaration by Kurama is when you first load the file. It is random of course.
Kurama: 'There you are... every one is excited to see you, but take your time.'
Now, if only that represented his usual personality! He can be gentle and sweet but his constant insults towards Kai finally propelled me to initiate a brief programme of revenge wherein I stripped him of all decent weapons and equipment, dragged him into combat and then stood motionless on the sidelines watching him die. That of course sounds absolutely terrible but their deaths always are on a timer and they automatically are revived when the timer expires.
I originally thought Kurama might be a god after my own heart. He is erudite and he cares deeply about children, but his arrogance is difficult to to take. My first real disillusionment came when, for all of his love for children, he would not climb down off his high horse to let them throw beans at him. In contrast, Kai proved to be a good sport about it, even when they continued to shout: 'Oni out! Good fortune in!' That was the first time I saw Kai without his masque, after a bean hit him in the eye.
Dating Kurama, the one event I truly loved was when he and I flew like the wind on horseback.
He and Kai are both the worst of enemies and the best of friends. Kai calls him 'Birdbrain' and he describes Kai as an oaf, yet they spend many an hour together. Kai considers it almost a sacred mission to bring Kurama out of his 'lair' into the sunlight. For Kai, whose folk long ago were driven underground into the shadows, sunlight is one of the greatest of life's treasures.
Kotaro always talks about Kurama and yet next to Kai in combat, it is Kai who praises him and empowers him.
So after I went home to dinner, I decided I would let Kai rest while I took Kurama with me instead. Put him next to Kotaro... see how it goes. Kai made some truly gourmet plate tonight for our dinner. It had a little flower that was green and red, possibly wasabi with some other garnish.
Kurama barely can fight. Only eats things like Sandwiches as well. Perhaps I will take away all of his weapons and gear briefly and see how that plays with Kotaro.
What I saw was Kurama's ability to dodge attacks. That is his strength. His arrogance is in no way diminished even when his weapons and equipment are less than satisfactory.
In combat:
GG...EZ.
Your defeat is imminent!
Chequemate!
This is what made me a liitle sour where he is concerned long ago:
Kurama: If you find any items of exceptional rarity, I insist that you show them to me at once.
Who is he to insist upon anything, I ask?
As a matter of fact, every one's inordinate fascination with the weeds and wild grass I collect is a little absurd. Could I but put them to the task, they would lose interest quickly.
If you let Kurama die in battle:
'What an undignified end!'
And then revives just in time to tell you that he insists on being shown the exceptional items at once!
Mind you, I do like him when he tells me very gently that every one has been waiting for me but that I can take my time...
'Don't bother begging for mercy! I won't hold back!'
(Yet I was under the impression that mercy to vanquished foes was precisely what we showed again and again in Azuma.
He just rubs me the wrong way. When I invite him to dine with me at Yachi's, he tells me it was more entertaining than he expected. Yet out first meal there together prompted an event where the food was far too spicy qnd I had to pretend I actually wanted it because he would not admit the truth.
That is called damning some one with faint praise.
'You should head home soon. Wouldn't want you losing your way in the dark.'
As though I were a child or utterly hopeless at navigating after 12 years in Azuma!!!
Obviously he means well...
In combat:
You didn't even need my help! (Reproachfully)
Swift as the wind. (Me or him?)
Heh. I found your weakness.
Don't think you've bested me. I shan't succumb to this!
(Always when he is close to expiration from his wounds)
'Are you quite finished? I grow tired of waiting!'
(When his energy was almost nil.)
When he dies now he no longer says: 'What an ignoble end'. I guess he has become resigned to his lowly fate.
I wish he would learn his lesson and understand that I was his superior now!
This last time, he kept bragging to the bitter end. I just want him to behave...
'The game is afoot.'
Okay, Sherlock!
This was interesting. I thought he would hate it if I chose 'Poke fun' but he did not.
Unbelievable!
Then:
I asked my friend to tell me what sort of husband he made, but never heard... I always feel a need to do it myself in any case. The irony will be if he makes a better spouse than any one else.
Today Kurama did say something nice when I invited him to join me at Yachiyo's.
I think the first time was a disaster. His food was too spicy but he did not wish to admit it. I had to offer to trade and pretend I believed him when he said it was not a question of being too spicy.
I will write out the event when I have time. I do make a video record.
When I chose ‘Poke fun’ as an interaction, his response surprised me. Perhaps he is less stuffy sometimes than he appears:
It will be interesting to marry him to see if that gentle soft side ultimately dominates.
When I speak to Yachiyo a few moments later:
Speaking to Cuilang in the Summer Village, he told me this:
From one of my files in Year 18 married happily to Kai, I went to the Orb to start a new fate to report to my friend what marriage to Kurama would entail after she confessed she still had not married any one in Azuma.
I therefore went from the Orb to a new Fate to court and marry Kurama. I could not go through with it without a little boost for myself I confess. I also went through all of Kai’s bonding events again and when I finally plucked the sacred Plum branch, I was at a crossroads where I could propose either to Kurama or to Kai.
What I did then, totally pointless but emotionally kind of necessary was save my game at that point in two different files.
First I went to Kurama and proposed. Went through the entire business of meeting him in my Shrine to go to the Fateweaver destination with Woolby. Much to my delight, that was a hilarious even with a little irate Woolby berating Kurama for his attitude. I then met Kurama at the Fateweaver Shrine and wrote my heartfelt wishes to give to him. It caused Kurama to have a weird choking near death experience.
After that, I did glean a few romantic statements from him, and the next day, we were married.
After speaking to me briefly in his ‘new home’, he promptly turned in for the night in his own futon leaving me to go out at 8 p.m.
First day of marriage:
Kurama is slow to crawl out of his futon and complains: ‘Mmm… Ugh… Let me crawl back into bed…’
To be fair, he tries to inject some enthusiasm into his voice when he announces: ‘Time to face another day.
Next, seated at table, he turns to look at me and says: ‘You mustn’t be choosy when it comes to food, so I stuffed your lunch with everything you hate… Heh. Only kidding.’
In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the Strawberry Mochi he gave me. As much as I love Kai, he tends to be overly fond of sending me out with Fish on a Stick. I do not have the heart to tell him ever how much I detest fish of every sort.
Next, I went out for the day to graft for my new family, seeing to the crops and then performing all the Quests on the Ema Board.
When I returned at 5, he was in the village. I waited and waited but he only returned to the Shrine a few moments before 8 to eat quickly and slide past me into his futon.
The second day, he made me another sweet and told me I should stay home with him instead of going to work. It made me cross that he thought so little of my duties and reputation.
On the 17th of Summer, he asked if I wanted to have a child and I said I did. This was the first night he actually made dinner for us both. He still only reaches the Shrine after 7 p.m.
The next day, I stalked him from 5 when he was hanging out near Yachi’s. He began a very slow progress towards our home. He actually realised at one point I was behind him and turned to tell me I should get home .
When he entered the gate to our shrine, he turned again to say ‘Welcome home!’
He is learning I think!
You really do need to marry every eligible character in order to experience everything the game has to offer. There are many new dialogues with Kurama after marriage.
Here is an interesting one:
Kurama: Few things in life compare to the simple joy of discovering a new hobby.
So you’ve found a new game?
No, I enjoy this far more than any game I’ve played. I doubt a I’ll ever tire of it.
Me: (I see.). It sounds like a pretty amazing hobby! Consider my curiosity piqued. What is it?
Kurama: Your INT stat is showing, my dear.
Did you put a blanket over me when fell asleep last night? Thank you for that.
Me: Of course. I didn’t want you to catch cold. But si didn’t know what game you were playing, so I left it untouched.
That’s perfectly fine. I must have dozed off in the middle of a grind.
But, er… did you look at the screen at all?
Hm? Yes, I glanced at it. I saw you named your character after me…
Kurama: Gah! You did?! I should have known better than to hide it from you…
Me: Hee hee, but it’s such a sweet gesture! I love how you include me in your favourite hobbies like that.
The dialogue that follows made me happy to know Kai retained feelings for me still!
Kurama: Kai complained to me earlier that I occupy too much of your time. Kotaro also said he wants to play with you more. Must be nice to be so popular…
Me: Are you implying that you’re… jealous?
Kurama: Of course not. As if I’d enby any one demanding more of your attention.
Me: Uh-huh. You’re not fooling any one. Don’t worry - my feelings for you will never change. At the end of the day, I’ll always return to your side.
