Hoemi

Every morning, Hoemi casts their line into the river that cuts through The Great Panda City. Their partner, another trainee whose laugh is loud enough to startle the cherry blossoms, always joins them. The partner complains about the freezing winds Hoemi cannot feel and fills the silence with stories of dojo spars. Hoemi rarely speaks, offering only a slow nod. The other trainees were wary of the quiet, undead chimper with the whirring cyborg eye. But their partner just saw the steadiest hands in the entire city. When they reel in a shimmering carp, the partner lets out a whoop loud enough for them both. It’s the only warmth Hoemi ever seems to need.