Ariyoshi

Ariyoshi swung the guiding lantern just enough to make the shadow of the tallest bamboo stalk dance like a noodle on the Panda Council's chamber wall. The freezing wind that whipped through The Great Panda City threatened to tear them from their perch on the slick roof tiles. A slip would mean a long fall, but the scar that split their eyebrow twitched—a reminder of a previous miscalculation involving a stolen sweet bun and a much steeper roof. Most trainees pored over scrolls or practiced forms; Ariyoshi studied the precise moment a guard changed their patrol route. The shadow-noodle bowed deeply as the chamber door slid open. Below, a single, silhouetted figure watched them against the purple sky, their expression unreadable in the twilight. Ariyoshi held their breath, waiting for the verdict.