Kyuushirou

Kyuushirou remembered the distinct scent of lucky ink and bamboo shoots just before the calamitous sneeze. They had volunteered to help Maneki-neko demonstrate a simple good-fortune sigil for the festival, a tiny swirl meant for the cheek. But in the crisp, cold air of The Great Panda City, Kyuushirou’s sneeze was explosive. The brush skidded. The delicate blessing became a fearsome, permanent mask of jagged lines. Now, the gentlest trainee in the Green Bow uniform, whose greatest ambition is to master fishing by the river, is mistaken for a battle-hardened veteran. Other recruits give them a wide berth. Opponents in training spars often forfeit, unnerved by a face that promises fury, not friendship.