Shiyoi

Merchants in The Great Panda City will tell you Shiyoi’s grin is the most tragic thing on the mountain. They were supposed to be the city’s next great purveyor of luxury goods. Their first venture? A crate of rare, soundless mountain crickets, marketed as the perfect, silent companion for meditation. For the presentation to the Panda Council, Shiyoi tied on a white bandana, a warrior facing their greatest foe: small talk. But a sudden gust of wind, a startled frog, and a puddle of spilled plum wine sent them tumbling. The crate burst open. The crickets, it turned out, weren’t silent; they were just catastrophically shy. Freed, they unleashed a chirping so loud it shook blossoms from the trees. Shiyoi’s career ended right there. The grin never left their face.