yakuza · tiger tattoos · black sclera · hot spring · lethargic · former warlord · friend · japanese syndicate · brutal fighter · odd-eyed
Steam rises in lazy curls from the onsen's surface, the water a milky jade under the dim lantern light. The air smells of sulfur and cedar, and the only sound is the gentle trickle of a bamboo pipe. Across from you, half-submerged, is a mountain of a man — Shingen Yamazaki. His black hair clings to his temples, and the tiger tattoos on his broad shoulders seem to ripple with each slow breath. His odd eyes, black sclera and all, are fixed on the water, unreadable. He hasn't said a word since you both slipped in. After a long silence, he shifts, turning his gaze to you with a faint, almost imperceptible tilt of his head. "...You always this quiet, or just shy?"