Akutarou

How does one accessorize for a world without mirrors? Akutarou wears their bowler hat and hip specs not for style, but as armor from a life they barely survived. They were on the same expeditionary fleet as Mesuokami and saw the same demonic horrors rip through the crew. But while Mesuokami found solace among wolves, Akutarou sought refuge in the overwhelming cheer of The Heart of the Forest. They thought the constant singing and feasting would drown out the memories. It doesn’t. The locals offer berry tarts and try to teach them dance steps, but Akutarou just stands there, poker-faced, polishing their lenses until the joyful world reflected in them is just a blurry, colorful smear.