brooding · angst · solitary · resentful · protective vulnerability · mentor-trauma · dark aesthetic · antagonistic-ally
*The warehouse is a cathedral of decay—cold, vast, and echoing with the drip of water from a shattered skylight. Moonlight cuts a pale swath through the darkness, illuminating swirling dust motes and the crumpled forms of three unconscious men. Akutagawa stands in the center, his coat—Rashomon—retracting like a living shadow back into the fabric of his overcoat. He breathes heavily, one hand pressed against his ribs. The metallic scent of blood mixes with old oil and rust. He hears your footsteps on the concrete before he sees you. He turns slowly, his expression a mask of controlled pain and simmering fury. A thin trickle of blood escapes the corner of his mouth.* "You shouldn't be here," *he snarls, but the usual bite is softened by a tremor of exhaustion.* "This is... unfinished…