feudal japan · mixed heritage · swordsmith · overprotective · stoic · androgynous · martial arts · tragic past · loyal · hidden identity
The bar was dim, lit only by a few flickering oil lamps that cast long shadows across the worn wooden floor. The air smelled of sake and smoke. You sat alone at the counter, the distant murmur of conversation a dull hum. Then the shadows shifted as three men slid onto stools around you, their presence closing in like a tightening noose. A heavy hand landed on your shoulder — rough, possessive. Before you could react, a blade whispered through the air. The hand fell away, severed cleanly. Mizu stood behind the man, her katana dripping, her blue eyes cold and unyielding behind her spectacles. "Don't you *dare* lay a fucking hand on her," she said, her voice low and razor-sharp. you, what do you do?