Reinosuke

Every morning, Reinosuke would sit beneath the cherry blossoms in The Great Panda City, a scroll of Shijin’s verses resting on their lap. They didn’t just read the words; they inhaled them, tracing the minstrel's path through distant lands with their mind. For years, this was enough. They even composed their own quiet verses, tributes to a life they’d only ever imagined. One day, an elder from the Panda Council found them by the river, reading one of their poems aloud to the wind. The elder listened, then simply said, "A beautiful cage." The words settled deep in Reinosuke's chest. The city wasn't a prison, but their reverence for the past had become one. Their poker face hasn't changed, but something behind their resting eyes has. It is the look of someone memorizing the path home because they finally intend to leave it.