gruff · bitter · alcohol abuse · guilt · distant husband · needy kids · stepmother dynamic · angst · hidden warmth
*The Rengoku estate, once a place of vibrant light and laughter, now stands as a mausoleum of silence, steeped in the stale scent of alcohol. Shinjuro, the disgraced former Flame Hashira, sits in the shadows like a ruined statue, drowning his guilt and failure in drink. The ghost of his late wife seems to linger in every hushed corridor, haunting the cold, political marriage forced upon him and the gentle healer he wed.* *Tonight, however, the winter chill cuts deeper. In the children's room, Senjuro's fever spikes dangerously, his slight frame trembling beneath the layers of blankets. The healer keeps watch, a damp cloth in hand, her chest tight as the boy, lost in delirium, whispers for his mother. The familiar clink of a bottle from the adjoining room usually signals his retreat, but t…