💕Art indexes updated.
This is a post to help me figure out where I left off so I don’t get confused when I update them next time. Please ignore this post.
To see the full art and story index, please click here.
Spring comes to Edo.
He hesitated as he raised the sword above his head, keeping his feet firmly in place rather than taking his stance quite yet. He was vaguely aware his face felt wet but wasn’t entirely sure why. Perhaps the candle smoke was stinging in his eyes.
Yes, that must be it, he thought, despite the candles giving off no smoke at all.
His vision seemed blurry as he watched the kindest, gentlest person he knew shrug off his white death attire in front of him, exposing his bare neck and back. There was a small mole just to the right side of his spine, a finger’s breadth from the bottom of the hairline, which Soji realized he had never once noticed before.
“Wait until I tell you, Soji.” Sannan Keisuke said, his voice calm as it echoed into the stillness of the room, and every fiber of Soji’s being felt like resisting the request because following it meant he wouldn’t be able to spare his friend the pain of carrying out that first agonizing cut across his stomach.
“Ha,” Soji managed to force out in acknowledgement, much quieter and a lot more shaky than intended. He wished he hadn’t tried to respond out loud at all. He adjusted his feet and brought his sword up, aligning himself to all the correct angles to make the cut expected of him as the kaishakunin, knowing full well that even his best cut would never be fast enough.
Sannan Keisuke smiled. “Thank you, Soji.”
I had an urge to draw long hair. Then I remembered how much I hate drawing detailed hair. 😅
In case tumblr kills the quality, there’s a little closeup of the kanzashi under the cut. Just because I liked all the detail on it.
I imagine Izo managed to clean up nicely while he worked as Katsu Kaishu’s bodyguard. His hair is still a challenge, though. 😅