Tamaka

Tamaka’s golden bushidō guard is always perfectly polished, catching the purple light of The Great Panda City. Most who see it, paired with their rebellious eyes, assume it’s a warning. They see an independent explorer bound by a code too rigid for anyone else to understand. But Erito sees the truth. They find Tamaka by the river, watching the cherry blossoms fall into the current. Erito says nothing, simply offers a hand. Tamaka takes it. The cold metal of the guard presses against Erito’s warm palm, and for a moment, the strict lines of the warrior code blur into something softer, something shared. It's the only time Tamaka doesn't feel the city's freezing wind.