#blog rambles

First and foremost, Akutagawa is AroAce in my view. He finds no true romantic attraction/isn't exactly looking for a relationship of any kind. His world viewed is incredibly skewed and finds no interest in true romance, but he sees his partner as an integral part of him--an extension of him as a person, while not finding a true romantic pull to who they are are a person. You're an important part of his pack now, and he refuses to let you go.

(I'm tossing around the idea of him being FTM, but that's more of a personal decision that I still have to carefully tack onto his character. I'm not the most knowledgable about trans characters, and I don't want to write him in a way that may come off as offensive/fetishizing, so it'll be a bit before I actually write him as such.)

Physically speaking, there's a lot I think that he would have. Off the bat, I can think of his hands. They're pale and littered with scars and cuts. Also, dry as all hell--this man does not moisturize at all. His fingers are long and have that elegant, piano-player look to them (and they make a wonderful necklace). However, he doesn't take good care of them. His nails are always chipped and he definitely has dirt and blood under them. Lots and lots of callouses, there's no doubt about that.

Gin will occasionally paint them, but those are sparse circumstances--and the polish must always be black or a nude. Maybe a clear gloss coat would work just fine, simply because he can't pick at what he can't see.

Driest lips on the planet. Sorry guys, but this man has zero care of hygiene outside of the basics and you all can fight me on that. I love him so very much, but I also have to accept that he's not washing his face and drowning in cologne. He stinks and that's okay. You'll just have to make him put on chapstick before he is allowed anywhere close to kissing you.

Moles. Moles. And more moles. Skin that pale doesn't come without some sort of blemish. They're everywhere--his face, his neck, his chest, etc. He has a prominent one on his bottom lip and under his right eye. The others are scattered across his body like rounded, black stars. He tries to ignore them, but he gets embarrassed when his partner seeks them out and covers them in kisses.

Sharp fangs on the bottom and top row of teeth. If you've read Beast, you'll know exactly why I did this. He had to get creative when it came to protecting himself and the kids in the slums, even by his own bare teeth when Rashomon didn't cut it. They're sharp as knives and he's not afraid to use them. Especially on you.

He's incredibly agile. I know a lot of people like to think he can't really do much without starting a coughing fit, but this man has canonically swung himself around and lifted himself by arm strength alone (even with just one arm!!). He's quick in the air and pulled a fucking back handspring in Dead Apple. Trust, that man can move.

Another personal favorite headcanon of mine is that he can speak multiple languages. Not native fluency, but just enough to introduce himself, hold light conversation, and carry out deals in the Port Mafia. As a high ranking member in the PM, Akutagawa has to run deals for Mori when necessary, and the Mafia trades with any and all countries/nations--so a little bit of language knowledge is necessary.

^This goes for all of Mori's personal attack guards and Executives.

Ryuu has some muscle mass on that scrawny body of his, but it's very lean. Again, he works in the Mafia--some strength is necessary. We all saw how he threw that punch at Dazai. He's got some serious strength.

Broad Shoulders Babyyyyyyy. We're bringing them back. His silhouette is crazy. (Big chest, tiny waist iykyk). Adds to his muscle, that's for sure.

He hates PDA in any sense of the word, but he'll always keep a bind of Rashomon attached to his partner to make sure they don't suddenly disappear. It'll be barely noticeable--maybe a small binding around your pinky, or under your shirt and around your waist. It just depends how paranoid he is.

I know it's likely not possible, but I think he'd have a long scar across his throat Post Vampire/Airport Arc. In the manga, it definitely healed when he inherited the Vampire abilities, but I want him to have some sort of reminder. All his life he refused to die--to let someone get the upper hand if it meant sacrificing them instead of him. But this scar is a reminder of the first time in his life that he gave instead of taking.

He gave his life for Atsushi to survive, even despite his own pride, and I think he deserves a reminder for the first sacrifice of his own life.

Also, he gets super squeamish if you touch/kiss it at all.

Here comes the part that will get me lit on fire, but it has to be said: Little to no hygiene.

There. I said it. Live with it.

Ryuu uses very, very minimal body care items when he actually does manage to get in the shower. If something is gifted to him, he's likely to use that. Anything outside of gifts? Fat chance of him even buying it. He uses a bar of soap, and that's it. His partner will have to buy him any other sort of body wash or shampoo/conditioner if they want him in any sort of semblance of clean. He does enough to clean dirt and prevent infection and that's all.

Speaking of shampoo, he's going to need it--1000%. Akutagawa will let his hair get unbelievably greasy before someone has to make him take a shower and wash it. He'll feel more inclined to clean up if he has a partner, but old habits die hard.

Though, he can't resist joining if his partner hops into the shower. Not in any sexual sense, but just so he can keep an eye on you to make sure that nothing harms you. He can't let you out of his sight for even a moment. (like a cat that hates water, but thinks you're in danger because you're soaking in a bath.) Even if he has to stand naked in the corner, freezing his ass off while you hog the warm water--he'll do it. He'll also do it completely clothed. It really just depends on his mood.

Lastly, I don't imagine Ryuu takes cough drops at all. Maybe some tea with honey to occasionally soothe his throat, but won't bat an eye at the bags of lozenges in the nearby pharmacy. If his partner manages to sneak a handful into the pocket of his coat, he'll be more likely to take one, then. Still, he's annoyed that you thought he'd need something so stupid and trivial. He'll never admit how much they really do help his sore throat after a particularly bad coughing fit, though.

Lastly, he hates anything to do with a medical setting/hospital atmosphere. He will not undergo surgeries or take any sort of anesthetics. It's known he hates showers because he feels defenseless without his coat, but if he's not even awake or able to register feeling, he can't protect himself at all. He hates it--hates feeling weak or not being able to defend himself. Even Mori has a hard time getting the man under the knife for a necessary surgery.

Not everyone will agree with these, and I'm not expecting anyone to do so. These are just what I liked to add to his character to help secure more depth to who he is and how he acts. Also, I figured I'd add in a little reference guide because I like to add these to any/all stories I write that involve Akutagawa. Just for a little bit of ✨spice✨.