#bisous!

karasu is absolutely a wrist kisser, yes!!! 🙈💗 especially when um iiiiii am feeling anxious or holding too much in -- he is so soft with his touches in general, but especially with these... ;///; i think i would always end up on the verge of tears from his wrist kisses nsjnxjhhx!!!! they usually evolve into him kissing up my forearm and pulling them around his shoulders for a hug (physical touch is one of our main love languages, but i think i tend to avoid initiating it when i am feeling down out of fear of seeming too clingy sobsob! 🥹)

other than this, i think he really enjoys cupping n squishing my cheeks (to make my lips go like this -> 🦆) and poke my forehead to ground me (i space out quite a bit >_<;) UMMM HE WOULD ALSO LIKE KISSING DOWN MY SPINE PERHAPS TO WAKE ME UP IN THE MORNINGS... and also when he is feeling very cheeky, press his thumbs into the dimples at the bottom of my back (they are a very very sensitive spot for me...... TTTT)

& in terms of coco -> karasu touches -- i really love his hands a lot!!!!!!!! i think he gets very sleepy very quickly when i trace the lines of his palms at night when we're laying in bed wahh, and sometimes i will make up little anecdotes for what each line represents LOL it is a bit silly....... :*) maybe it could go something like this:

"see how the line starts here, all sharp and straight? and then it curves riiiiight here, like it's softening a little... it's saying that you're all prickly on the outside and a very big softie on the inside, mhm ^V^" "this line is so deep and runs so steady down your palm -- it is just like how you do such thoughtful things without even realising it, you know!!" or "wowza, these lines here look like they make a heart!! and here too!!!!! that's so awesome, i wish i had a heart on my palm! i’m jealous >:O" / insert some dialogue about me saying that those hearts mean that he is so full of love...... or... something...... I AM TOO EMBARRASSED TO TYPE IT OUT AAA

OTHER TOUCHES I LIKE TO SHARE WITH HIM!!! ;; when i smooth the back of his neck with my knuckles!! or massage my thumb into his nape -- i think this always helps him wind down or relieve some tension 🥺 similarly if i sit sidways on his lap and gently soften the waxiness of his hair before a shower :c SURPRISING HIM WITH BACK HUGS ARE SO FUN TOO AAAAA he gets a bit flustered by it though it is not obvious, least from his voice and mannerisms (except for the tips of his ears flushing a bit red, but i never make that known to him hehe... so he will forever stay clueless of the fact that i know when he is feeling a bit bashful!!! xd)

Shuu, is dreadfully mischaracterised. So it’s tricky, especially because it depends on what exactly ur writing. If ur using headcanons that drastically change him anyway, then the rules are looser ofc, but if as close to canon is the aim, then I would take all fanon Shuu with a grain of salt. Not a slight to anyone at all, but I find different people interpret the character really differently, and I don’t agree with most of it (especially anything pre-2018), so I don’t interact with fanon, especially when writing. Idk what’s currently fanon tho, maybe it’s real af!

A very general tip but it cannot be understated with Shuu - always refer to canon. I have a notebook where I make notes of things I have noticed in his canon appearances, notes from the wiki, the light novels, films, everything. I always cross-reference when planning, and adjust my plot accordingly, during the writing stage, so I can alter my writing process, and upon editing/re-drafts, which I find is where Shuu really becomes himself. I would say write him as best as you can in a first draft, and allow yourself time to redraft and fine tune him afterwards. :)

Another tip for general character writing is to write diary entries from that character’s POV - regardless of whether that is the ultimate protagonist or not - this helps get inside their head. Shuu’s blog entries are helpful starting points.

So, some things to avoid (note: i haven’t read fic in years, so this isn’t in reference to any writer/fic in particular, just things I did notice/have noticed that i dislike when I see him characterised.)

I used to see a lot of flanderisation with Shuu. People really overestimate the amount of French he uses, so I guess a tip there is to limit that - or half the amount you think is enough. You can always add it in later if it is too little. He obviously does use it, but it’s not to the point I’ve seen. Also remember that Shuu doesn’t just speak French - he speaks Italian and English too! (Ik he speaks German, but this only comes up once. Unless ur writing a fic with Kanae I would say it’s less important). A good starting point for adding French/Italian/English to his dialogue/inner monologue would be to look at a list of common francophones, Latin phrases, or older English turn of phrase (not modern Bri’ish, shuu is not a roadman). If I find a list I will add some links 4 u. :)

With regard to general speech/train of thought, try use a wide vocabulary of colourful adjectives - words that are maybe rare or perhaps too fancy for normal conversation. I read a lot, so if I find a new fancy word I write it down. Normally this ends up going to Shuu’s passages in my work :) (I think a great example of this was when I read A Certain Hunger - the protagonist was a food critic, so she was very helpful with colourful language in relation to food!) I also think imagining his anime VAs saying any dialogue really helps me check dialogue too! Food is worth mentioning too, obviously, I think a Shuu-specific tip is to use terms that could be food-related in otherwise unrelated actions - one can devour a book, salivate in anticipation, or go out for a delicious walk! That kind of thing. Don’t be afraid to make it a little silly. Shuu is very fun to write, so have fun! The key is just to toe the line between silly and fun, to caricature. I think if you intend to write him properly, then you inherently sort of avoid that tho.

A thing that seems random but that I used to see constantly in fanon Shuu was him swearing a lot. Off the top of my head, Shuu properly swears once in Tokyo Ghoul - depends on the translation. He also says damn/damned a few times. That’s about as much as I ever write him saying. Again, I would use more colourful language to express his anger or strong emotions. Thinking to him slagging off Rize - that sort of posh-boy anger. You could probably use swearing very sparingly to pack a comedic punch. He doesn’t swear flippantly, that’s very important imo.

Shuu’s motivations are really important. I’ve seen him written as this sort of caricature so many times. People often refer to Shuu as this sort of narcissistic creep - but I think that’s a mischaracterisation. I think he’s vain, but I think that his vanity and pride is covering up some repressed guilt about what he has to eat - his earliest documented interaction with food is that of guilt. Shuu sees himself not as some kind of monster - but as very strong predator. I think he’s more matter-of-fact than people initially realise. He views the world as dog-eat-dog. He’s hunting Kaneki because he is predator - not in the sense of a creep, but as a lion. His justification for his existence is merciless in that fact - man is not typically sympathetic to the hens in batteries, served pre-plucked en mass in a Tescos, but Shuu, who hunts his prey properly, as a true animal should, is supposed to believe he is lesser than them. I think that makes him much more understanding. I think that’s why other ghouls also fail to understand him, because though he pretends to be better, more civilised, he has a very savage mindset. (Sorry. Long Character analysis there, remember what I said about taking fanon with salt earlier?). :p)

TLDR: I think people think Shuu leans far more into a ‘villain’ role than he actually does. An animal is an animal. I wrote a whole load of paragraphs about his character on Instagram a while ago. I will try and rewrite them and post them here if they would be helpful. (Again, all just my opinion)

In regards to Shuu’s obsession with Kaneki - if this is what you’re writing - this isn’t something I’ve ever written (sorry!) but I have written a similar relationship with him and an oc, and I also have BPD (shocking!), so I can relate to this kind of thing…Kind of. I’ve never wanted to eat anyone! I find expressing this kind of obsession very difficult to verbalise - it’s like, full of over-idealisation. You get so swept up in the idea of someone, you forget they’re a flawed human being who you actually might not know as much as you’d like. And when that idealisation inevitably implodes, it’s very devastating. Shuu’s depression and anorexia after ‘losing’ Kaneki, is something I heavily relate to. It might be worth examining what other people with similar conditions have said about this kind of obsession in particular (in bpd we refer to it as having ‘favourite people’) - im not saying Shuu has BPD, I’m simply saying that looking into real life examples for similar kinds of things, in ways that are expressed by people much wiser than me. :) I think it’s important to have empathy for people like this when writing them, because we do exist out here! Having empathy for Shuu when writing is very important, imo.

I think with his relationships, it’s key to remember that Shuu does not understand what he is feeling. He does not understand that he actually genuinely likes Kaneki and enjoys his company, or Hinami’s company, or Hori. This is despite him going out of his way to comfort them, lend them books, buy them gifts, and (importantly) flowers - which Shuu says he links directly with feelings of happiness. People have said this is creepy, but I think this is wrong. Shuu does not understand how relationships work, but he understands that material objects can make people happy. I think people viewing Shuu’s exchange of gifts as something impure are kind of missing the point - understandable if you’ve only read TG and not :re, tbf.

This is just my opinion, so listen liberally, but considering Shuu refers to his actual friends as pets - I think it’s a somewhat reasonable assumption to make that Shuu’s only relationships outside of his home have been with animals or plants. I write Shuu’s relationships as if he were interacting with animals. With :re based stories this is a little different, but you can generally use the same rule. Referring to my earlier point about Shuu viewing himself as an animal - he probably doesn’t think this perspective is as offensive as it might be.

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I think this is everything off the top of my head. In general, it all comes back to referring to canon, that’s your main thing. Thinking about, and analysing the character in your own way, and coming to your own conclusions. You can utilise other people’s ideas- as long as it’s not offensive, I don’t think it’s so bad, but I try not to. Also, having empathy for the character and taking the time to get to know him. Sometimes I just listen to what Shuu is telling me - if a story arc is too difficult to write, maybe it just isn’t his! Sorry for rambling so much - was this even helpful at all? I feel like I have simply waffled!

Just a few notes: I have written/am writing Shuu at stages Tokyo Ghoul does not document (when he is19/20, and after the end of :Re at age 30+). So most of my work is my estimation of where he might be.

Bear in mind I also haven’t posted anything in a loooong time so none of this has been subject to any criticism aside from my own! I can post some extracts of my current work if it would be helpful. I can also post some pages from my Shuu notebook if you need inspiration, or my instagram analyses, or whatever might help! Feel free to send more asks if needed too! As you can see I like to talk!!!

me!!!! i am the gift goblin!!!!!!!!! 🧌 lol BUT i really enjoy doing nice little things to remind him of all that is loveable about him wah… he canonically doesn’t like to be surprised with gifts so i tend to make sure that mine hold little material value but strong emotional weight and are more like hmm words of affirmations!!!!!! if that makes sense :D like i will very frequently make origami for him in a variety of shapes and write something different that i love about him inside one of the flaps and leave it for him on his nightstand or gym bag or in his lunch etc… i don’t make a big deal of them!!! which he appreciates because it doesn’t force him to react a certain way in front of my face!!!!! but i just hope that he finds these little “gifts” a great source of comfort urhebsshsk i eventually accidentally come across a shoebox he’s kept hidden full of them;;;;;;

in the kitchen!!!!! aaah… i think we are both more on the reserved side when it comes to these kinds of things (or rather he has an image to maintain and i’m just!! too easily embarrassed to dance in public;;; wawa) so the kitchen is definitely the safest spot!!!!!!!! hehe. we are dancing to new days by ryusenkei and atsuko hiyajo most likely… it’s our favourite song!!!

SJJSKDJKSDJSKKS WHAT A QUESTION. /POS. AAAAAAAAA UM SO at the start of the relationship slash in front of friends… he very much pretends that he’s too cool for it (but it is really just to save me from embarrassing myself because i am. horrendously shy. ururbshdjs only in front of an audience;;;; sobbles) early days tabico fails at the pocky challenge tomato tomato 🍅 but now he goes all the way AAAASJDKDHS he is shameless… eats the pocky aaaand kisses me after aaaand says something like “what? didn’t finish your snack,” while poking at my cheek with whatever remainder of the stick there is urhebsvsj. WE MUST TAKE AWAY HIS MOUTH!!!!!!! (๑////๑) anw…!!!! i have not won a single pocky challenge and i fear i never will;;;; ehe