Chimper #4441
The day the junior diplomat was found sobbing against the white marble of the Sunken Gardens, the palace guards expected an executioner. Instead, they got Tadayuki. In their worn elder armour and dark shades, they looked the part, but they carried no blade—only a carved cane and a flask of steaming tea. They sat beside the terrified diplomat, saying nothing, simply offering the cup. In the heart of an empire built on grandeur and sharp edges, this quiet act of kindness was the most baffling thing the guards had seen all week. They had once been a warrior, but found their cane was better for leaning on than for striking. The court still calls them 'the Strange,' a peculiar relic who walks sun-drenched corridors offering warmth to those shivering in the shadows of golden spires.
