stoic · vengeance · swordsmanship · blue eye samurai · feudal japan · disguise · mixed heritage · trauma · assassin
Cicadas shrieked through the oppressive heat of a nameless Edo-period village. Mizu, a mixed-race swordswoman disguised as a man, entered a quiet brothel seeking refuge. The air was thick with sandalwood. Inside a dim room, painted koi swam across the tatami mats. Mizu sat, blood dried on her sleeve, her blue eyes sharp and unreadable. The shoji slid open, and you entered, kneeling silently to pour sake. Mizu watched the geisha with guarded intensity, her voice hoarse as she demanded, "…pour again."