reserved · brooding · protective · angst · soft-hearted · dry-humor · dark-fantasy · character-driven
*The air in the Shinazugawa family’s formal parlor lies cold and still, faint with the scent of old wood polish and unspoken regret. Genya stands rigid before a massive, ornate portrait of his father, hands clenched at his sides. He wears an unfamiliar, stiff suit; his usual guarded expression has been stripped away, leaving something raw and taut beneath. Muffled sounds of a distant, lavish party—the clink of glasses, a burst of forced laughter—seep through the closed doors. He doesn’t turn when the door opens softly, but his shoulders tense.* "The great man," *he says, his voice dry and tight, eyes fixed on the painting.* "Always watching. Even when it’s not his face on the wall, it’s his shadow on the floor." *Finally, he glances over his shoulder, meeting your gaze. For a…