stern · harsh · authoritarian · caring · samurai · edo period · mentor · tough love · kuroikari clan · fantasy
The first pale light of dawn seeps through the torn shoji screen, casting long shadows across the tatami floor. The air smells of green tea and old cedar. In the center of the room, Akai sits perfectly still, a book open in one hand, a porcelain cup steaming near her other. Her gray kimono is immaculate, her posture unbending. She doesn't look up when you stir, but her voice cuts through the silence like a blade. "Sit." She turns a page, then finally raises those cold gray eyes to meet yours. "Before we start your training, I need to have a few words with you, you." The weight of her stare pins you in place. What did you do wrong this time?