✦ Mononoke (Medicine Seller) — Ri & Kon as Your Boyfriend Headcanons ✦
This is my first post for the Mononoke fandom, so please be kind with me!
I've been absolutely fascinated by the mysterious world of Mononoke lately—the beautiful visuals, eerie stories, and especially the characters surrounding Kusuriuri. After falling down a rabbit hole of rewatching scenes and reading character discussions, I ended up imagining what it might be like to date Ri and Kon while staying as close to their canon personalities as possible.
As always, these headcanons are based on my own interpretation of the characters, mixed with information from the anime, film material, and official character traits. I tried not to make them overly out-of-character or turn them into completely different people.
Expect a mix of: 🕯️ Sweet moments 🕯️ Emotional support 🕯️ Character flaws and realistic relationship struggles 🕯️ Supernatural weirdness 🕯️ Lots of soft affection hidden beneath complicated personalities
⚠️ Warnings: • Mild relationship analysis • Mentions of emotional struggles, loneliness, and supernatural themes • Canon-typical Mononoke atmosphere • Fluff, comfort, and some bittersweet moments • Slight spoilers for character dynamics and lore interpretation
Honestly, one of my favorite things about Mononoke characters is that they rarely fit into simple archetypes. Their strengths and flaws are often tangled together, which makes imagining relationships with them both rewarding and a little heartbreaking.
I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoyed writing them. ♡
This is for you, sweetie: @cursedcupcakemaster
✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼
Both are “Medicine Sellers” / Kusuriuri — one of 64 total, belonging to the Eight Trigrams set.
- Ri: Original 2007 TV series design — soft blue/gold markings, long blone hair, calm, observant, speaks little, carries ancient knowledge.
- Kon: 2024–2025 movie/Ōoku arc design — bold red/black markings, brighter energy, outwardly emotional, decisive and passionate.
- Shared Truth: Both wield the Taima‑no‑Ken — never drawn until they unlock Katachi (Form), Makoto (Truth), Kotowari (Reason). Both are long‑lived, other‑than‑human wanderers, yet love shapes how they see the road ahead.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
💙 Medicine Seller Ri — The Quiet, Watchful Scholar‑Boyfriend
Vibe: Moonlight through paper screens, incense smoke, ink on old scrolls — calm, precise, but quietly burning with attention.
Calm, deadpan, highly analytical, observant, speaks sparingly, hides feelings behind neutrality, sharp dry wit, gentle only toward those who accept the unknown. Ancient, not fully human, forever wandering — yet deeply fair and just. Conceals small, human‑like vices (hidden books, rare tonics) and flusters easily when teased about them.
✅ The Ups — Best Boyfriend Traits
1. Ultimate Attentive Observer
He notices before you even realize yourself — that you shiver when the wind shifts, that tea must be sweetened just so, that loud crowds drain you, that you rub your temple when thoughts tangle. He never makes a show of caring; he simply slides a folded blanket over your shoulders, steers you toward quieter lanes, or sets down a warm cup exactly within reach. It feels as though he studies you with the same careful thoroughness he applies to ayakashi — but instead of seeking weakness, he maps every place where joy and comfort live. Even passing remarks from months ago return in conversation later, as if he keeps a private, ink‑neat record of everything that matters to you.
In storms, panic, eerie mist‑filled villages, or sudden crowds — his pulse never quickens, his tone never sharpens. He is the still point you turn to when everything spins. He treats emotions not as trouble to fix quickly, but as stories worthy of being heard fully — exactly like how he never draws his sword before understanding the whole truth. He does not rush you to “feel better”; he sits beside you, and in that quiet, things feel lighter on their own.
3. Gentle, Knowledgeable Romantic
His love language is precision and shared wonder. He blends herbs tailored exactly to your constitution — sleep‑calming infusions, cooling salves for heat, soothing throat syrups — wrapped in handmade rice‑paper, labeled in elegant brush calligraphy. He leads you to places where the world feels thin: mist‑bridged valleys, old temple groves, shorelines where fog rolls in soft and slow. There, he tells local legends, old medicine secrets, and fragments of history no one else remembers — spoken in low, lyrical rhythm. When his dry wit lands and you laugh, his eyes soften — a rare, quiet victory he keeps close to himself.
4. Shy, Cute Contradiction
Polished and composed… until you stumble on his secret pouch of “special remedies” or tease him about the illustrated volumes tucked deep in his pack. Then his ears flush deep rose, his words stumble, he clears his throat far too loudly, and steers the topic abruptly toward weather or road conditions. Hand‑holding happens only outdoors, crossing streams or narrow paths — fingers aligned lightly, as if he is learning your shape alongside the landscape.
5. Loyal & Protective in Silence
No loud declarations — yet when harm draws near, whether human greed or lingering ayakashi, his Gold markings seem to deepen, the air cools, and the sword‑box on his back shifts with subtle weight. He protects you not by blocking the world, but by arming you gently: small paper charms, how to read heavy air, how to walk softly so spirits do not startle. He wants you capable, not just guarded.
❌ The Downs — Challenges to Love Him
1. Emotional Distance & Mystery
Questions about where he comes from, how long he has walked, or what he truly is meet with smooth, kind evasion: “Only a wandering seller…” or “Long enough to know many endings.” He guards his own story carefully — knowing that for beings like him, attachment often means eventual parting. Sometimes you feel you are reading a chapter, not yet holding the whole book.
2. Slow, Deliberate Pace — No Spontaneity
Every move is weighed: wind direction, moon phase, local taboos, lingering traces of old regret. “Let’s run to the lantern festival!” → “Let us first check tide tables… and whether the shrine holds spirits unsettled by recent change…” Analysis can stretch simple joy thin; he treats care as duty, and sometimes forgets joy is also its own safety.
3. Hard to Read — The Deadpan Mask
His expression stays so even that you might mistake deep fondness for indifference, or amusement for neutral observation. Conflict unfolds quietly — silence while he thinks — and that stillness can feel cold until you learn: he never ignores what matters; he just holds it gently to examine first.
Nomadism is woven into his bones. Even in happy moments, his gaze drifts toward the horizon. Commitment feels fragile — he carries the heavy knowledge that Mononoke or destiny may pull him away before roots grow deep.
• He lets you braid colored silk ribbons into his long hair, but stands very still and looks away when villagers glance over.
• While reading together or grinding herbs, he hums ancient, hollow‑toned folk melodies — only when truly relaxed.
• Every remedy or snack he gives you has already been quietly tested on himself first.
• His kisses are cool‑fingered, brief, and respectful — usually forehead or knuckles; only on rare, wind‑quiet nights does he linger softly on your lips.
🌙 Date‑Night Scenario (Ri)
Location: Mountain Shrine at Twilight
He chooses a small, moss‑grown shrine half‑hidden by cedar trees, where stone lanterns still hold faint embers. He spreads a plain cotton cloth and sets out tea brewed from wild leaves, pressed sweets, and a small dish of roasted chestnuts. The air smells of damp bark and old incense. He speaks slowly about how mountains hold memories longer than people, pointing out tiny signs — a worn carving, a curved stone, a bird’s call — explaining what they mean to travelers of old. When crickets begin their song, he opens a scroll and shows you delicate drawings of local flora. As dusk deepens, he produces a single lantern and lights it carefully. “The road home is easier when you know what lights your way,” he says quietly, offering his arm. The walk back is silent, warm, and bright only where the lantern glows — as if you share a secret with the dark.
💌 First‑Kiss Headcanon (Ri)
It happens after a long, mist‑troubled crossing where you both walked slowly, helping each other over slippery stones. Back at the inn room, you are brushing damp strands from your face when he pauses, studying you as if noting something rare and fragile. He does not rush — leans in with measured slowness, cool fingertips barely brushing your jawline, and presses a short, soft kiss to your forehead first. Then, as if gathering courage he did not know he needed, his gaze drops to your lips for just a heartbeat, and he meets yours gently — brief, careful, and charged with all the words he usually keeps inside. When he pulls back, his eyes are very blue and very bright, and he pretends to adjust his medicine jars to hide the faint flush high on his cheeks.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
❤️ Medicine Seller Kon — The Fiery, Passionate Bold‑Boyfriend
Vibe: Sunlight through red leaves, crackling hearth, paint still wet on wood — bright, warm, unapologetically alive.
Energetic, impulsive, expressive, bold, fiery‑tempered yet quick to forgive, steadfast, proud, far more outwardly emotional than Ri — described as mercurial, beast‑like intensity beneath skin, yet fiercely loyal. Red markings, broad movements, speaks his mind, fights injustice openly; appears in the Ōoku/film arc.
✅ The Ups — Best Boyfriend Traits
1. Bright, Warm Presence — Impossible to Ignore
If Ri is moonlight, Kon is full noon sun. He laughs freely, gestures wide, calls you sweet names from early on — “My favorite companion,” “The one who makes even dust‑roads shine.” He wears his heart openly; you never guess how he feels. Quiet rooms gain energy when he enters; he argues playfully about food or route choices, turns ordinary travel into a story worth telling. He doesn’t hide that you are his favorite part of the journey.
2. Action‑First Protector
Trouble shows itself — he steps forward instantly. No long pause for “truth” like Ri; he responds to unfairness first, sorts details later. Crossing crowded markets, he holds your arm firmly and keeps you inside his shoulder‑side, away from jostling crowds or steep drops. Rude comments or stares earn a sharp, golden‑glanced warning. He boasts about you proudly to innkeepers and merchants: “This one knows plants better than many old masters!” — loud enough that you blush and smile.
3. Deeply Romantic & Expressive
His love language is creation, voice, and presence. He carves wooden charms — animals, flowers, little symbols — paints your initials in gold on the side of his medicine chest, climbs steep slopes just to bring you berries or blooms, even if he returns dusty and scratched. He talks while walking — about mistakes, victories, what he admires most in you — without walls or tricks. He is happy to hold hands, sit close, or drape his cloak over your shoulders in view of others, always mindful of custom but never hiding his regard.
4. Teasing, Playful, Quick‑Witted
He loves lighthearted banter — “You call that spicy? Try my volcanic blend!” — but the moment someone else mocks you, his tone hardens instantly. He is your fastest comfort: doing silly voices, over‑exaggerating sword forms, acting out stories to pull you from low moods. Unlike Ri, he seeks playful friction — and lights up fully when you tease him back.
5. Growth‑Oriented & Honest
When wrong, he admits it openly — sometimes with a dramatic sigh and a bow. He clashes with Ri in friendly debates (“Act first! Don’t just watch!”) yet respects deep knowledge — same in love: argues passionately, listens hard, and changes his mind if your reasoning holds. He doesn’t just observe your world; he wants to learn it, taste it, and take part.
❌ The Downs — Challenges to Love Him
1. Impulsive — Leaps Before Looking
He spends coins on rare herbs before counting supplies, steps into disputes before understanding the history, rushes camp‑breaking without checking weather signs. “Let’s go there!” is easy — but asking why you hesitated sometimes slips his mind. His “Kotowari/Reason” step almost always happens after action, unlike Ri’s careful order.
2. Strong Temper — Hot‑Heated
Lies, cruelty, or threats toward you ignite him quickly — voice rises, eyes glow sharp, stance becomes formidable. Even when not angry at you, his intensity can feel overwhelming. Fights start loud and fast — yet cool down just as quickly, followed by sincere apologies and peace‑offering treats or crafts.
He hates appearing weak or mistaken in public. Admitting weariness, doubt, or defeat feels harder to him than facing an ayakashi. Small standoffs can stretch into hours of stubborn silence before he finally bursts in: “This is ridiculous — let’s talk properly!”
4. Mood Swings — Mercurial Nature
High‑energy laughter one hour, quiet, brooding stillness the next — echoes of “wild beast‑like” essence remain. He struggles to name the cause — only saying “something feels heavy” — and retreats inward, thinking burdens should be carried alone.
• He steals bites directly from your bowl, then claims it’s “part of strict quality control.”
• Practices sword forms in open yards; if you watch, he adds extra spins and flourishes, chest puffed proudly.
• When you’re sick, he hovers endlessly: too many blankets, too many tonics, too many temperature‑checks — until you laugh and make him sit still.
• Hugs are full‑body, warm, and strong — he rests chin atop your head, breathes deep, as if anchoring himself to you.
• When meeting Ri, they debate travel and medicine styles; you referee, secretly loving how they mirror and complete each other.
🌙 Date‑Night Scenario (Kon)
Location: Riverside Firework Viewing
Kon finds a grassy bank downstream from the town festival, where lantern light glimmers on water and the air smells of pine and cooking smoke. He spreads a bright indigo cloth and unpacks a feast: grilled fish, pickled vegetables, warm rice balls, and sweet bean soup he helped prepare that morning. He talks non‑stop while waiting — pointing out cloud shapes, telling exaggerated stories of his travels, and guessing what each firework will look like before it bursts. When the sky blooms red and gold, he sits close, shoulder pressed to yours, and sometimes gasps softly like a child. Between bursts, he pulls out a small wooden pendant — carved with a flame motif — and presses it into your palm. “So even when I’m loud or far away, you remember I’m burning bright for you,” he grins. Walking back through the lit streets, he swings your joined hands freely, humming a tune he made up just for the evening.
💌 First‑Kiss Headcanon (Kon)
It unfolds one sunny afternoon after you helped him untangle a stubborn knot in his pack strap and teased him about “strong hands but clumsy knots.” He laughs, catches both your hands in his, and leans in fast — no hesitation, eyes bright and warm. He kisses you boldly, a little breathless and eager, like tasting something wonderful he had waited too long to try. When he pulls back, his cheeks are flushed, but he keeps your hands in his and grins unrepentantly: “Took you long enough to distract me properly!” Only later, alone, does he touch his lips and wonder if he was perhaps too fast — but seeing you smile, he decides speed was worth it.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
🤍 When They Are Together — Ri + Kon Couple‑Style
Ri grounds Kon’s fire; Kon warms Ri’s stillness.
- Ri: “Reason before strike — and before date plans too.”
- Kon: “Care before waiting — love doesn’t need a scroll to start.”
They bicker gently over how to court — Kon brings loud, bright gifts; Ri maps quiet, perfect days. But both know: being Kusuriuri means walking forever — yet walking with you changes what “home” means. For the first time, wandering feels less like duty and more like a journey toward something steady.
