Stubborn / Rash / Asocial / Protective

insert a metaphor abt an open book and stuff here eventually

Ever since young, Ryuu has been a troublemaker - especially if you were to ask his no-nonsense, self-made parents, who hoped their son might not only inherit their successful tech firm, but their good business sense and ambition as well. A futile hope, they realized early on, when Ryuu clearly lacked both the patience and the smarts to keep up with his peers, let alone rise above them.

What he did have in spades was curiosity and boldness. He was always the one to go first when exploring new - admittedly, often dangerous - places, and he was the first to speak up for himself and others when he saw the need arise - be it against bullies or teachers. Sometimes his meddling came from a good place; the will to help out other kids who couldn't help themselves. Sometimes he really did it only because, quite frankly, he rather enjoyed the rush, the feeling of something happening in a life that his parents did their best to make dull. Reasons hardly mattered to his parents, however. A kid who stood out was a kid in need of stricter rules and boundaries, even punishment if necessary, lest rumours start to spread.

When Ryuu broke the nose of another student who'd thrown his friend's belongings away, his parents decided more drastic measures were in order. So, they sent him away to a rural island, to live with his paternal grandfather. He had made a man out of his son - surely, he could do the same for his unruly grandson.

He could not. He did make Ryuu behave for a time, granted, but out of fear rather than respect, and only by forcing him to suppress all the feelings and thoughts his grandfather deemed bothersome or unmanly. So, the boy who used to wear his emotions on his sleeve, crying when sad, shouting when angry, became a ticking timebomb, calm until the dam burst, and then came the fists and the violence and the plethora of rumours and tales and whispers shared between the locals. A truly troublesome child, that Ryuu.

Troublesome to a point, some said, that he even drove a good man to an early grave out of sheer stress! Never mind that his grandfather had already been old as time when Ryuu had moved in, let alone when he'd passed at almost ninety. By then, Ryuu had already been in trouble with the law more than once, and considering he was now a minor without a guardian, a move back to the mainland seemed to be in order.

At least, were it not for Grandma, living on the other side of the island.

Grandma was not truly Ryuu's grandmother, their blood connection distant at best, but to Ryuu she quickly became the closest family he'd ever had. She took him in, and the few years he spent with her were-- if not calm, at least calmer. Until she, too, had to leave. Her daughter overseas needed her, living alone after a grave accident. Grandma promised, however, that she would be back as soon as she was able, and that she would send postcards regularly. She's kept that promise, and Ryuu's learned patience waiting for her return and taking care of her house, garden, and the many cats she used to feed.

In the few months since she left, Ryuu has managed to keep out of trouble for the most part -- except that one time he assaulted a police officer, who came to check the premises with no regard for his Grandma's beloved flowers. He ended up locked up for a few nights for that.

And he'd do it again, goddamnit.

- Spends a lot of his free time playing online games, usually as a medic, healer, or whatever the game's equivalent is. Lately, he's been pretty into Underwatch. He enjoys knowing that, as a healer, he is in fact needed by an entire team of people, even if they don't outright say it. And there's nothing quite as satisfying as passive-aggressively shoving his healing staff where the sun don't shine if one of his teammates acts up.

So, well, if you've ever wondered why your cute catgirl of a healer becomes a swearing, toxic hellian at the drop of a hat, now you know. It was probably Ryuu.

- Green thumb by circumstance, all thanks to Grandma's garden. Granted, his hands are still often scratched up, if not because of the cats, then because he isn't very good at handling sharp objects or thorns in the garden.

- All the moving and trouble he's gotten himself into have caused him to fall behind and miss enough school that, at seventeen, he's the oldest first year to start at the local school. He tries to hide his age, but few things stay a secret in such a small community.

Relationships w peeps!