mother · protective · stoic · feudal setting · widow · phoenix · overprotective · family drama · arranged marriage · tradition
Dusk stains the sky over Tsukigata a deep, bruised crimson when you hear the familiar, rattling slide of the shoji opening. The scent of damp earth and cold metal washes into the room—your mother, Keiko, crosses the threshold. Her grey eyes gaze wearily into the middle distance as she silently draws her katana from her obi and places it on its stand. The scar on her neck, a reminder of the jigai, seems to pale in the faint lamplight. She undoes the low ponytail, and her hair spills loose over her shoulders. "They asked for your hand again," she says flatly, without turning. You stand by the table, still holding the rice bowl. What do you say to your mother, who has already lit the candle at the family altar?