#endless edits.

                                    𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮 𝐉𝐚̈𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧, 𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬.

  what an unsettling beauty // endless edits.

    𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐊𝐎𝐁𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈: One of the oldest power houses in Kyoto, the illusive women of the Kobayashi bloodline prefer to seek refuge among themselves. In the world of Willow && Flowers, the name invokes that of iron will && power. Girls who align themselves with Okiya Kobayashi are often hailed as famous Geiko who will live a life of abundance, never to know anything more than the servitude that the art requires, they will ask for nothing && desire nothing. For those who are special && can invoke the inherited technique of Miyako Odori, they will prime themselves as candidates for a faction of the estate known as ‘no face women’, beings that are able to take the likelihood of others. In days of yore, the Kobayashi’s pride themselves as problem solvers, the end && beginning, one who would bring harmony when the balance shifts. Assassins by nature, their secrecy is rooted in protecting those they hold dear to their hearts && one another, they emphasize to be one of them is to know the song of sorrow.       The inevitable one must live between deception && truth, that this life they were born into requires all, there is no moderation. Their family crest is that of the towering wisteria tree that has hailed for generations, a sea of lilac that blooms && dissipates, holding in each petal another tragedy marked with heartache while in other cases, death && dishonor. They have lived in three factions, the Era of the Full Moon, The Age of Gold, most recently after Kobayashi Sayuri’s ascension into Godhood - The rule of the Lunar Eclipse. Their ferocity is to move as one, a unit where even the weakest shall show their worth, to love a Kobayashi is to know even in the beyond you shall never be forgotten && remain immortalized in their bountiful gardens.     𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬: a Matriarchal dominant clan, there are few traits one can tell easily when speaking to such beings. They are petite women with small dainty features, long black hair or auburn easily swept in traditional styles. Gray eyes are common amongst the family; the rare more prized are gold to hazel. It is rumored that many of the women are cursed by yokai blood, leading to their own tragic lives, in candlelight or that of pale moon, one can see such monstrous features. When not garbed in costume or public appearances, they are often seen in colorful yukata that are bold, arrogant, even flashy for the younger generation while the older prefer more subdued looks with luxurious fabrics.    𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡:  The Inumaki Clan, they are particularly fond of the family considering both were known for their lineage of natural born assassins. It is common for the women of the Kobayashi clan to marry into the Inumaki family. Though, on the other hand they have entangled themselves into a generational feud with the Zen’ins. Though arranged marriages are also known to happen in order to smooth political in fighting.   

         From the broken fragments of a young maiden, the wretched ability was born, she would never be known in history but all would remember the seeds she planted. Miyako Odori reminiscent of a blossoming festival, shrouded those who inherited such a technique in a veil of secrecy. Manifestation begins at an early age, a Kobayashi girl might be able to manipulate the shape of her nose, lips, the hue of her hair or eye color && in that glorious moment of pure excitement, she will be granted a status that would carve her not as an dream men conjure but a blade to strike.        A fragment of visage, they would steal the faces of one’s closest ally, lover, consort, children - piercing through the darkness to end dispute amongst clans. The Kobayashi women who succeed in the art of deception are categorized as ‘no face’ women. Prestige, honor, though a great burden is placed upon them - they would know the wickedness of life. Horrendous monsters, unfathomably greedy women, cursed - the lot.          Words they are accustomed to hearing, none that they care for, in their hands is that of balance. When all subsides into chaos, they are the means to stop it && only they, who know && live amongst death can understand the weight of sacrifice. Miyako Odori is the succession of RCT, underneath a duration of 20 minutes, one single assassin can be rumored to perfect the face of her target for a lifetime in a singular moment of glory. In her early years, Sayuri carved the very stars in her eyes && brought forth an imagery of idealized beauty, as her heart began to decay, she revealed the horror of Miyako Odori’s perfection. In the height of her ascension, she would utilize it to take down Takako Uro, both women of distant tiers colliding in a battle against the heavens. Ironically, in the final blow of sheer cunning skill, Sayuri would embody the heart of a true no face woman - free of bindings, free of name, free of identity, grasping her own fate.   

                 *  𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒

         lady spider // endless edits BG3 edition.

 Day by day, she would pour another cup, in time the rich flavor && complex blends started to blossom, it was not the notoriety that drove her, or even the financial gain, merely the knowledge someone would smile at the simple act. Grief that overwhelmed her at the passing of a dear friend, the ascension into the moniker the God Hand Sorcerer, none of it mattered. There was pride in becoming manager, promoting the cafe, knowing that there was an inkling of hope when the horrors of girlhood had sunk into her skin. The grasp she knew only to be that of destruction softened; giving precedent into a kinder && gentler life. Nowadays, the enigmatic owner is known for her rather ominous air, the timid yet kind smile, ushering in all that wander to a place where they may rest. Some joke her illusive beauty still shifts depending on mood but the coffee is delicious, the company is even better, one will always find home within Tsubaki Cafe.   

endless edits ft. kuro usagi