Adaptable - Gentle - Stubborn - Indecisive
 

      "Now darling, where do we go from here?"

      The Ship of Theseus is a thought experiment of identity; what makes up the self, and how much of it can be replaced before it becomes an entirely new existence altogether ? Is it the memories that make who we are, or do we make our memories ? —And in the end, who will be left behind in the narrative of our story:

      Theseus, the hero,
                        Or Medea, the witch?

      ...

      Tooru Hoshiumi is whoever you want him to be, at any given moment in time. He is a prop to be used in the narratives of other people's lives, however they may see fit. That's it, really. You can't say much in terms of personality when you don't even know yourself!

      ... But that's not a satisfactory answer, is it? You want to know what role he plays in the narrative of this paradox... right? Very well, then:

      If there was ever a word to describe Tooru Hoshiumi, that word would be "flickering." A lot about him is eccentric: his mannerisms, his environment, the way he carries himself… While he is an overall cheerful person, there is always a feeling of incorrigible peculiarity those who meet him are often left with once it's time to bid their goodbyes. Nonetheless, the close second that comes alongside that "flicker" is the sentiment that Tooru is "positive." He does his best to uplift the people around him, even if he's only met them a few moments beforehand. An environment of understanding and care is conducive to smiles all around, after all!

      The one encompassing thing that influences the way Tooru holds himself is the concept of choice; the idea that love does not come naturally, but that it is a deliberate choice made by a person. To be loved by someone is to understand that they choose to love you; to trust in someone is to choose to believe in them. In this manner, everything that happens in Tooru's life is the result of multiple choices that string together to form the path of his existence.

      Ironically, Tooru is also a bit hypocritical in that sense; while he believes that choice is the one defining thing that allows people to live their lives as people, he is hilariously incapable of making decisions of his own. When faced at a crossroads, he wants to go down all ways, even if he is instructed only to walk down one. People often find themselves growing impatient as he deliberates—and perhaps it is for this reason that, ultimately, Tooru often has to walk down the road that he chooses alone. Still, once something is chosen, it is hard for Tooru to let go of it—even if it is not a particularly wise thing to do. While he can be a little wishy-washy with self-made decisions, if someone tells him to do or believe something, he chooses to stubbornly hold onto the words fed to him, even when they aren't entirely honest or trustworthy. Fundamentally, all of these choices and traits and actions boil down to one desire: he wants to feel accepted.

      In a sense, perhaps this gullibility is a subconscious way to atone for a habit he's unfortunately yet to let go of: in truth, Tooru is also a compulsive liar. It's a trauma response he picked up as a teen, and try as he might, he's yet to shake it loose. While he is trying—lies will often be covered up by him brushing them off as harmless jokes or pranks, thus his vocabulary includes perhaps one too many "just kidding"s or "I'm joking"s—it's not something that can easily be dismissed, especially when he's still in the mental environment that caused him to start picking up the habit in the first place.

      Despite all of his flaws, however, Tooru is a hard worker who never gives up, even when the going gets tough. He tries his best to understand all sides of an argument, even if he can be initially biased. He is mature for his age, and acts well as a peacemaker, especially given how easily people trust in him. And that trust, genuinely, is something he offers immense gratitude for. While Tooru himself is unaware of who he is—a paradox of personality brought on by undiagnosed Borderline Personality Disorder—he is glad that, in some people's books, he is—-

... the romantic, rabbit-hearted hero.

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