Suzusaburou

One priceless vase, two oblivious guards, and a single, very poorly timed sneeze. Suzusaburou froze, mutton chops quivering with the force of the suppressed explosion. The guards stirred. It was the letter’s fault, of course. Tucked inside their panda fan for safekeeping, the perfumed parchment from Otsukotsuyoshiko was simply too distracting. They were supposed to be a whisper in the golden halls of The Teikodian Empire, a guardian of priceless artifacts. But how could one focus on patrol routes when Otsukotsuyoshiko’s poetry was so compelling? They had been re-reading the line about their eyes being “twin pools of thoughtful night” when a fleck of dust decided to betray them. This was the trouble with being in love: it was terrible for stealth.