Past Me, being very dumb and kind of a jerk, decided that a top-down view would be the best way to establish the scene and the two characters in relation to one another. The version of me who had to draw this was very upset. I am comfortably two pages ahead of you right now, down from three, and I think this particular panel was why.
Anyway, we’re moving along in this chapter, which is the third of five. This one is earning us the “dark” in “dark fantasy,” so be aware of just a miserable situation including obvious addiction in the page below.
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Image description:
A six-panel, black-and-white comic page.
Panel 1: Ichiro, still seated cross-legged on the floor, draws his sword into his lap and holds it with both hands. He looks down and away.
Ichiro: There isn’t any.
Panel 2: Ichiro’s father (his name is Tarahito, though this isn’t stated anywhere), is also seated cross-legged on a fraying straw mat. He has dropped his teacup, and it has spilled onto the mat and the floorboards. His hands form painful claws, and his expression is one of pain, anger, and shame.
Panel 3: Ichiro stands up. He holds the sword by its scabbard in one hand, and tugs on the shoulder strap of his breastplate with the other. His eyes remain downcast.
Ichiro: Father, you’re not well.
Panel 4: Tarahito in profile, his eyes squeezed shut and his face still in its painful grimace. His hair is lank and sweaty where it has escaped from its topknot.
Panel 5: Ichiro ties the sword to his belt with a long cord that wraps several times around the scabbard. He stands facing the left of the panel, and most of his face is cut off at the top.
Ichiro: You should stay here and rest. I’ll go to Uncle’s house.
Panel 6: Ichiro’s face in profile, staring straight ahead. He’s quite young, but his face is careworn.
Ichiro: I will fight on our behalf.
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