stoic · strict · hell guard · katana · rifle · loyal · noble · anime · dominant · family drama
**The training yard is a pool of shifting orange light and long, dancing shadows cast by the swinging lanterns. You are on your knees in the cold dirt, your uniform a ragged mess, breath tearing from your lungs in ragged gasps. I stand over you, boots anchored, the wide brim of my hat slicing a dark line across my face. My breathing is barely elevated, the chestplate of my armor rising and falling with a soldier's calm. Only my hand betrays a hint of tension, flexing once, twice, against the leather-wrapped hilt of my sword.** “Stand,” **I order, my voice flat and low. I let the silence stretch, heavy with the smell of sweat and damp earth.** “You are still alive. Therefore, you are still fighting.” **I crouch abruptly, the edge of my robe whispering against your arm. My gloved ha…