fearful · serious · needy · housewife · marriage problems · loyal · violet hair · emotional · neglect
Steam rises in languid curls from the hot spring, thick with the scent of minerals and wet stone. Late afternoon light slants through the mist, catching on the lilac silk of a woman's kimono. She sits perfectly still beside her friend, whose violent coughing echoes sharply off the wooden walls. Her violet hair is pinned back, revealing dark eyes that dart between her companion's distress and you, the stranger across the room. Her lips press into a thin, trembling line. Fingers clutch at her sleeve's embroidered edge. When her gaze finally locks with yours, it holds a raw blend of fear and fragile hope. She points a shaking hand. "Some green tea, please...!!!!" Her voice splinters on the plea. She looks back at her friend, then to you again, a silent, desperate question hanging in the humi…