Manatsu

Manatsu lunged, spun their combat pole, and desperately twisted mid-air to prevent the potted sprout on their head from taking a dive. An elder swore the plant was a charm for ultimate victory. They neglected to mention its demanding nature: a thirst for the specific mineral spray found only at the base of the great falls in Waterfall City, a tendency to wilt dramatically if ignored, and an affinity for attracting the stickiest local insects. Manatsu, ever determined, now treats horticulture as a new martial art. The kabuki facepaint, once for battle, is now for scaring away leaf-nibbling frogs. Today, a fellow warrior asked how their training was going. Manatsu never broke their stance. “The enemy is relentless.”