Tsutsura

Tsutsura was supposed to be a fishmonger. Their life was mapped out: mending nets downstream, haggling with frogs over the price of silver carp, and sleeping to the sound of the great falls. That ended the day they tried to win a dare by snatching a glowing pebble from a brazier in the pale stone temple. The stone didn't burn; it dissolved into their skin, leaving a permanent warmth and embers that danced on their back. The city guard saw a living weapon. The elders saw a protector. They were given a fine haori and a duty they never asked for. But Tsutsura refuses to be serious about it. The salmon they wear is a constant, absurd protest. They are a celebrated defender of Waterfall City, but all they really want to know is if the fish are biting.