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M I Y O S H IxxK A Z E T A N Ixxxx#cc9999xx
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27 (APRIL 29, 1914)xxxMxxx 【 EAST WIND / JAPAN 】
HT / 173 CM x WT / 68 KGx LITHE
HAIR / DARK BROWNx SKIN / PEACHx EYES / DARK BROWN
HT / 173 CM x WT / 68 KGx LITHE
HAIR / DARK BROWNx SKIN / PEACHx EYES / DARK BROWN
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XXXXXKNOWLEDGE |x ◆◆◆◆◆xxxx■ Rank-A:xxxx7 YEARS
XUNDERSTANDING |x ◆◆◆◆◆
XXXXXXXXXCHARM |x ◆◆◆◆◆xxxx■ Artifact 1:xxxHIGEKIRI (C)
XXXXXXXXCOMBAT |x ◆◆◆◆◆xxxx■ Artifact 2:xxxKIMURA ASAGI (S)
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i. S A N I W Axxxxxxii. A R T I F A C T (1)xxxxxxiii. A R T I F A C T (2)xxxxxxiv. F A C T I O NxxW O R K Sxxxxxxv. R E L A T I O N S H I P S
MISSIONS COMPLETED: 21 / MISSION SUCCESS RATE: 100%
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i. Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shinto.
ii. Birthplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyoto, Japan.
iii. Occupation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kazetani Diplomat, IJA Spy.
iv. Morality Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . True Neutral.
Identifying Trait: Doesn't take tea with milk nor sugar.
I. SANIWA
THE WAYWARD SON, A LONE CAMELLIA TREE.
xxxAs a product of contemporary circumstances, Miyoshi Kazetani (風谷 三好)’s life mirrors Japan’s Meiji Restoration and the industrial growth of the period. He was born of an audacious union between Head Priest, Viscount Yuuki Kazetani, and an influential ex-geisha. An unhappy adolescence, including a period spent in Europe, and the realization that he could never be his own person, left indelible marks on his psychology. Through it all, the Kazetani maintains a tasteful mask that evokes an unhurried Victorian past. Of a polished disposition, Miyoshi wears Douro Cologne Eau de Portugal close to his skin, projecting an air of intoxicating charisma.
xxxMiyoshi Kazetani grew up in Kyoto, Japan: a waking beast fueled by the roar of consumerism and industrial rationalization. It’s a paradoxical city embracing the western frontier while simultaneously fostering nationalist sentiments. Very quickly, Japanese society (and by extension, Japanese Saniwa society), became defined by “modern and traditional” and “Western and Japanese.” Within the East Wind, a revolution was strongly unwelcome; it was forbidden to openly acknowledge western policy changes. Never referred to as kakumei (revolution), these transformations were referred to with terms like kaizen, kairyo, and kaizo (improvement, reform, transformation).
xxxMiyoshi was often caught in the crossfire between his father’s progressive politics and his clan’s staunch traditions. Yuuki daringly implemented policies without resistance, dressing in western style clothing and intimately collaborated with the North and West Winds. Yuuki thought such moves were necessary for the Kazetani to become part of the modern, Saniwa world—but many of his clansmen were concerned that they would lose their own traditions. The Kazetani camellia mon stands for many things, namely: samurai loyalty, Saniwa faith, and social harmony--but neither Yuuki nor his son were known for their family values. Both are notorious for being particularly rebellious and opinionated: an unusual combination in Kazetani men.
xxxCynical, pretentious, and competitive, Miyoshi comes from the same mold as his father. Nevertheless, he has none of Yuuki's self-awareness, and all of his more intense qualities. Miyoshi outwardly projects narcissism while internally carrying a distrust in people, and identifies with some feelings of loneliness. He has no issue with solitude as long as it’s on his own terms. Fortunately, as a privileged Kazetani, he’s received enough training to moderate his unattractive qualities. His adaptable, wily, and tactful capacities mask what his comeliness cannot.
xxxMiyoshi’s troubled disposition stems from his atypical upbringing. Being the son of an avant-garde Saniwa complicates the entirety of Miyoshi’s life. His father’s new age policies were a bigger source of his apprehension; ghosts were always the least of his concerns. As Yuuki’s successor, Miyoshi was born with high spiritual potential and confined by liberal policies. Growing up, Miyoshi felt like less of a person and more of a pawn; his father groomed him to become a Spiritualist heir to his title. Although entirely human, Yuuki assumed a mythic stature in his son’s imagination. Miyoshi continually measured himself against the standards of his father’s respectability and self-possession while at the same time learning to hate his father for his selfishness, emotional distance, and imperious attitude. In an act of passive rebellion, Miyoshi began running towards death. His ruin comes from being unable to find a balance between social responsibility and personal freedom.
xxxAside from his suicidal philosophies, few of his beliefs are currently his own. The majority of his ideals were shaped by his estranged father.
xxxYuuki’s occupation as East Wind head priest and Japanese ambassador to the United Kingdom made him absent from family life. In his earlier years, Miyoshi took pride in his father's role in the League of Nations, and hoped to live up to his father's fanfare. Sheltered and naive, young Miyoshi wasn’t yet affected by his father's lack of presence. Instead, Miyoshi spent the majority of his childhood in his mother’s okiya, and studied abroad during his adolescence. His formative years in the geisha house had given him the ability to speak with adults at a young age, but deprived him of normal friendships. There, Miyoshi gained insight on grace and charisma, but wasn’t interested in applying such skills to widen his social connections. He saw other children as potential resources rather than playmates, and preferred discussion with adults versus spending time with his peer group. Aside from few okiya staff members, his inner circle consisted solely of his mother, the revered ex-geisha and Shirotama okami-san, Tsubaki Kazetani. Inspiring, thoughtful, and austere--Tsubaki was Miyoshi’s mentor and idol. It was Tsubaki who chose his food, books, presents, activities; and it was she who regulated the organization of the day with her uncompromising tone and manner. He clung to his mother, which raised the ire of his father, who decided to remove him from the okiya.
xxxIn 1928, Miyoshi turned 14, marking his transition into adolescence. In line with his Western views, Yuuki Kazetani persuaded the North Wind’s ruling family, the Laforets, to host and sponsor Miyoshi’s foreign education. Miyoshi studied five years in the United Kingdom; he spent his summers at the Laforet’s estate in Russia, and made brief returns to Japan during spring. He was accompanied by his East Wind Spiritualist mentors and a plethora of dedicated, western tutors. To ensure that he wouldn’t be traveling without a companion, he was escorted by Odagiri, his branch family cousin, who would later come closest to being his best friend and rival.
xxxOdagiri was perhaps the first person that Miyoshi could deeply connect with. Miyoshi heard of his cousin’s high spiritual aptitude and more favorable personality, but was never acquainted with him until their study abroad. The two mutually sympathized with each other’s onerous Kazetani obligations, and identified each other as worthy competitors. Unlike Miyoshi, Odagiri’s charm was completely inborn. Gregarious, self-reliant, and self-knowledgeable—Odagiri, was, in many ways, Miyoshi’s antithesis. Fortunately for Miyoshi, Odagiri registered his cousin’s enigmatic nature as a worthy challenge, and made a large effort to grow friendly with him. Odagiri’s natural confidence and charisma allowed their European acquaintances to see past his orientalism, and be enthralled by his fascinating worldview. An admirer of Odagiri, Miyoshi was inspired to surpass Odagiri in the social arena.
xxxAside from his growing friendship (and rivalry) with Odagiri, Miyoshi also developed taste in world cinema, literature, and music while abroad. The European social scene exposed him to a litany of cultural and social encounters that were lacking in Japan. Being a part of the “Lost Generation” pleasantly challenged his introverted nature, and brought out the best of his more charismatic traits. Together with their Laforet hosts, Miyoshi and Odagiri ran wild through country house parties, dances, and motor races. Still, his stay did not come unaccompanied by racial prejudice. On occasion, the ruling, London elite saw Miyoshi as one of them--a depraved and debauched young person simply having a wonderful time. Mostly, he was seen as the philosophical “Oriental” with cynical but entertaining qualities. While he did his best to fit in, he also knew that he would never become “truly” British, in the same way he could never return to being “truly” Japanese. His cousin felt similarly, but dealt with the cultural conflict differently. Whereas Miyoshi was content internalizing his fragmented identity, Odagiri externalized it. Odagiri would continue the rest of his life traveling between England and Japan, while Miyoshi returned home jaded by his “otherness.” He abandoned all hopes of ever coming into his own, and instead threw himself headlong into Kazetani obligations. The latter declared himself a Spiritualist, and incarnated Higekiri as part of his coming of age ceremony. Through Higekiri’s birth and his worldly education, Miyoshi should have been the ideal product of his father’s edicts.
xxxYuuki Kazetani falsely assumed that his son’s sophistication would make him the perfect socialite and diplomat. The elder Kazetani was only half-right; reality was much more complicated.
xxxMiyoshi’s years spent in Europe made him sensitive to politics, social psychology, and the importance of being adaptable. It did not, however, make him feel more at one with the universe. It was clear to his Japanese peers that Miyoshi's European influences made him a more genuine embodiment of western culture. Japanese society has an insider/outsider culture that enforced a strong Japanese identity and a clear perception of the foreign, this much, Miyoshi always knew. He was always recognized as a foreigner both in his own country and abroad. For the most part, he is complacent about his lack of central identity. Miyoshi has learned to see his “otherness” as an advantage. As a living, cultural transgression, Miyoshi has social flexibility, and the capacity to think outside his own cultural framework. Although he didn’t know it then, his European experiences would later give him powerful espionage skills and qualifications to assume his father’s duties.
xxxIn 1934, after Miyoshi turned 20, he put his skills to use acting as his father’s substitute in Kazetani affairs. Yuuki’s political duties as the new Japanese ambassador to Italy decreased his visits home. For once, Yuuki’s absence had a positive effect on his son. For Miyoshi, carrying his father's mantle was, for awhile, the culmination of his aspirations. Miyoshi had always hoped that his father’s position would grant him more agency, or at least, a change in perspective. He re-entered Japanese society with greater confidence, and took pride in his numerous engagements. Fresh-faced, well-groomed, and more compromising than his father, Miyoshi was a welcome change to the East Wind’s traditional society. Despite his success in the role, he had doubts about the true reality of his situation. Around the same time, Tsubaki fell victim to tuberculosis. Kazetani healers barred Miyoshi from visiting his mother, in fear that he would catch the disease. Miyoshi wrote multiple letters to his father about his mother’s condition which were never returned.
xxxUnbeknownst to Miyoshi, the Kazetani elders had dispatched espionage agents to intercept Miyoshi’s messages. The Kazetani never approved of Yuuki’s marriage to a geisha, and hoped that Tsubaki’s eventual death would push Yuuki to remarry. Without a Saniwa noble background, Tsubaki had never been truly accepted as a part of her husband’s clan. On April 15, 1934, Tsubaki died alone, without the company of her son nor her husband. At her funeral, the Kazetani refused Tsubaki the same special honors that would normally go to Kazetani noblewomen. Yuuki only learned of his wife’s death upon his return to Japan in 1940; Kazetani family relations have been turbulent ever since.
xxxMiyoshi never received closure and that drove him off his previous path. He disapproves of his father’s absence during his mother’s illness, and blames his father for his mother’s emotional frailty in her final days. Following her death, he abandoned Spiritualist training and followed his mother’s footsteps in espionage. Miyoshi’s clandestine incarnation of Kimura Asagi impressed IJA spymaster Yakumo Kyoya who offered to take him under his wing. In his single act of ultimate rebellion--Miyoshi accepted entrance into the Imperial Japanese Army, and trained under the kempeitai for a year. The act infuriated his father, for as a Kazetani representative--he was expected never to sway from political neutrality. As another esteemed (face time) Spiritualist, Kyoya influenced young Miyoshi’s career choice; Miyoshi became an (Unseen) Espionage agent while maintaining a spiritual front. Kyoya’s severity did not lighten Miyoshi’s deep-rooted depression, and if anything, encouraged it to grow. As Kyoya would say, “No one asked you to be happy. Get to work.” Under Kyoya’s mentorship, Miyoshi was introduced to pragmatic, pessimistic philosophies.
xxxIn walking Tsubaki’s path, Miyoshi felt discontent, apathy, and deep, unspeakable sadness. He thought of killing himself constantly, and questioned his Kazetani ties more deeply. He learned to cope with his mother’s death through soul tablet abuse and overextending Kimura Asagi’s Skill Manifest, it marked his own physical decline and potential death. As an espionage agent, Miyoshi often required using Kimura Asagi’s skill to cloak his appearance, oftentimes transforming into an Englishman in order to travel in the ever stringent immigration climate in Europe.
xxxIn addition to his (Unseen) Espionage duties, Miyoshi also holds the position of Kazetani diplomat. As a respectable emissary, he meets petty hazards of the day with measured grace, placid smiles, and carefully formed opinions. Through it all he relies on his appearances and an ingrained bitterness. He has not once felt sorry for himself, and would rather avoid self-reflection to deny himself the chance of realizing his grief. Echoing Kyoya’s philosophy, Miyoshi believes there is something excessive about prolonged suffering.
xxxCharacteristic of an espionage agent, Miyoshi presents many faces to the world. To Saniwa society, Miyoshi comes off as a charismatic and dependable extension of his father. To Yuuki Kazetani, Miyoshi is a living reminder of his own inability to achieve (and maintain) all his aims. Miyoshi, however, prefers seeing himself separate from his surrounding world. Though he considers himself a Kazetani, he doesn’t uphold the same values that his family camellia crest stands for.
xxxHe wryly describes himself as “...a lone camellia tree in the shade of a thicket.”
Skills:xCryptology, memory retention, forensics, lip reading, diplomacy/negotiation, piano (17 years), exorcism, ghost identification, seduction.
Known Languages:x Japanese (fluent), Mandarin Chinese (conversational), German (conversational), Russian (limited), Italian (limited), English (fluent, Received Pronunciation accent).
Likes/Interests:x Risk, travel, the arts, philosophy, people watching, Go, Pool & Billiards, hunting, birdwatching, cats, confections.
Dislikes:x Lack of challenge, personal questions, extreme weather, self-reflection, his father, hanafuda.
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__________
Faceclaim: Miyoshi (Joker Game).
Image Sources: Joker Game (Production I.G.) Episode 1, Miwa Shirow concept art, OST cover art.
i. S A N I W Axxxxxxii. A R T I F A C T (1)xxxxxxiii. A R T I F A C T (2)xxxxxxiv. F A C T I O NxxW O R K Sxxxxxxv. R E L A T I O N S H I P S
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WT / 59 KG
TYPE / COMBAT
AGE / 7 YEARS OLD
#D4C098 / ♫
AWAKENED SKILL / "TOMIKIRI"
Can cut through anything but only for a certain length (correlated to the amount of spirit his Saniwa provides).
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II. RARE ARTIFACT (C)
HIGEKIRI, THE EQUAL-CUTTER.
HIGEKIRI, THE EQUAL-CUTTER.
xxxAs a rare Artifact, Higekiri’s underlying competitiveness, willingness to please, and ruthlessness stem from his Heian roots. Higekiri was born of competition between the famous swordsmiths Mōfusa of Ōshū and Kokaji Munechika of Kyoto. Higekiri and its “brother,” Hizamaru, were gifted to the Japanese Emperor as matching pair of tachi made from the same naginata. At the day of presentation, Mōfusa’s blade measured three-shaku long, while Munechika’s was noticeably shorter--resulting in the imprisonment of the latter due to cheating and suspected iron theft. Mōfusa’s blade was therefore honored and named “Makuragami” (lit. “above the pillow”) while its competition was scornfully titled “Sun-Nashi” (lit. "missing sun.” Here, ‘sun’ refers to an archaic Japanese measurement unit, approximately 3.03 centimeters long). It was said that Munechika’s prayers to the gods to support his honor spurred the two katana to parry, resulting in Munechika’s severing its competition, making them of equal length. This event caused Higekiri to receive its first epithet, “Tomokiri,” “equal cutter” or in other readings, “friend-cutter.”
xxxHigekiri earned its current name when Minamoto no Mitsunaka tested its sharpness by beheading criminals, prompting the name “Higekiri” (lit. “beard-slasher”) due to smoothly cutting a bearded victim’s neck. Since then, Higekiri and Hizamaru passed through several name changes and masters, eventually becoming treasures of the Genji bloodline--and by extension, the Kazetani. The swords were not always owned together, however. Higekiri and Hizamaru commonly fought each other in the hands of opposing clans and even family members, Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune being notable examples. In general, Higekiri was no stranger to corruption and betrayal. During the Boshin War, Higekiri and Hizamaru were stolen from Ito Kazetani by his brother, Sano Kazetani. Immediately following the latter’s death, Higekiri and Hizamaru were taken by the Honoji, a rival Saniwa clan. The Kazetani finally reclaimed the swords in 1914, when Yuuki’s espionage agency forcefully retrieved them.
xxxHigekiri and Hizamaru’s reclamation occurred the same year Miyoshi and his branch family cousin, Odagiri, were born. It was then decided that Higekiri and Hizamaru would only be incarnated in the form of friendly competition between the Kazetani main and branch heirs. This incarnation competition was intended to pay tribute to the original swordsmiths and the Kazetani’s Genji ties. It was to take place on January 15, 1934, when Miyoshi and Odagiri reached 20, and would be performed as part of their Coming of Age ceremony (元服 genpuku*).
xxxThe Coming of Age ceremony itself involved liminal costume-wearing, speeches by public officials, and religious reflection. For the entirety of the event, Miyoshi and Odagiri wore hakamashita bearing the Kazetani crest and colors. The first half of the ceremony began at 11:30am, first at the Kyoto local city office, where Miyoshi and Odagiri joined the rest of their peers that had also come of age. The actual incarnation portion of the ceremony did not begin until much later at night at Kyoto’s East Wind spiritual pavilion, witnessed by Spiritualists that had also come of age. Miyoshi and Odagiri performed their rare Artifact incarnations as the closing religious reflection part of the ceremony, and the East Wind Spiritualist faction leader, Aoi Tsukiyama, honored the superior incarnation.
xxxMiyoshi performed a modified excerpt of the Shinto Shishi kagura (獅子神楽 lion god-entertainment) theatrical dance for his incarnation paradigm. He based his incarnation concept on Higekiri’s nickname, “Shishi-no-k o” (獅子ノ子 lion cub); to Miyoshi, incarnating Higekiri marked climbing the precipice from cub to lion. Since Miyoshi’s boyhood, Higekiri symbolized manhood, honor, achievement, and political advancement. Miyoshi's personal sentiments strongly complimented those of the culture behind the katana, allowing him to maximize its full potential. As a result, Higekiri manifested with a plethora of decorative, gold motifs riddled with the Emperor’s symbols. Higekiri’s physical appearance is considered otherworldly, with oni-like fangs even, as a product of Miyoshi’s own then-ferocious ambition.
xxxOdagiri, on the contrary, used a modified Shinto Setsubun (New Year’s Exorcism) for Hizamaru. Unlike his cousin, Odagiri fueled his incarnation through embracing fear of the unknown; He based his conceptual paradigm off Hizamaru’s more uncanny, demonic attributes. Hizamaru’s own, oni-like qualities were therefore more prominent than Higekiri’s, almost overpowering physical traits derived from the artifact’s cultural sentiment.
xxxThe East Wind Spiritualist faction leader praised both Miyoshi and Odagiri for their incarnations, but ultimately chose Higekiri for exemplifying total balance between the Artifact’s personal and cultural sentiments.
xxxAs an Artifact, Higekiri’s more violent qualities are only displayed when he’s challenged or feels attacked. In general, he carries an amiable yet firm demeanor not unlike Minamoto no Yoritomo, one of his past owners that Miyoshi strongly admired. As a combat-oriented Artifact, he's knowledgable in many sword fighting styles of his past, and acts as his master’s de-facto bodyguard. Unbeknownst to him, his presence provides his Saniwa great comfort. In some ways, Higekiri’s personality reminds Miyoshi of his cousin, Odagiri. Naturally, Higekiri and Miyoshi share a similar dynamic of mutual respect and intellectual competition.
*Note: A credible source claims that the Coming of Age day was only changed from being called ‘genpuku’ to ‘Seijin no Hi’ after World War II, while other articles mentioned nothing about this transition. I’m sticking by 'genpuku' for the time being, and will continue investigating this matter.
__________
Faceclaim: Higekiri (Touken Ranbu -ONLINE-).
Image Sources: Touken Ranbu -ONLINE-, 祸津属シラノ.
i. S A N I W Axxxxxxii. A R T I F A C T (1)xxxxxxiii. A R T I F A C T (2)xxxxxxiv. F A C T I O NxxW O R K Sxxxxxxv. R E L A T I O N S H I P S
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WT / 54 KG
TYPE / SUPPORT
AGE / 7 YEARS OLD
#F7A398 / ♫
AWAKENED SKILL / "YAMAZAKURA MATSU WA BUHATTE TACHI NI KERI."
Creates illusions by emanating a sakura aroma. The more pungent the aroma, the stronger the illusion. The illusion's distance and time limit correlates to the amount of spirit his Saniwa provides.
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III. ARTIFACT (S)
KIMURA ASAGI, THE TRANSIENCE OF LIFE.
KIMURA ASAGI, THE TRANSIENCE OF LIFE.
xxxKimura Asagi’s incarnation was performed in secret using Tsubaki Kazetani’s Shinto funeral as an incarnation paradigm. Despite the ceremony’s clandestine nature, it still met all the incarnation ceremony requirements.
xxxTsubaki’s funeral took place over a course of 49 days, in 20 incremental steps. Each stage needed to be precisely performed, according to century-old protocols. As a part of Kazetani tradition, all Spiritualist Saniwa were required to attend the event. As the eldest (and only) son, Miyoshi made the funeral arrangements, and began the funeral in September of 1939. Grief stricken, those who attended Tsubaki's funeral focused on her wake, leaving the Jamonsakura root in his breast pocket unnoticed. Like a seed planted in the grove, Miyoshi grew the sentiment as the funeral progressed. As both a Spiritualist and his mother's son, the depression only increased as the officiating priest continued the ceremony to lay Tsubaki to rest; that gave him the sentiment necessary to incarnate.
xxxA process of purification was needed in order to ready Tsubaki’s spirit for the afterlife. As part of the process, Miyoshi purified the Kazetani home to remove the contamination of death. Kimura Asagi’s incarnation took place during the Kichu-Fuda step, or the day of intense, 24-hour mourning. During this period, Miyoshi wore solid black like the rest of the mourners, and incarnated Kimura Asagi towards the end of Kichu-Fuda.
xxxPrior to the funeral, Miyoshi had delayed processing the reality of his mother’s death. Kichu-Fuda allowed Miyoshi to deeply feel the loss of his mother, the loss of his innocence, and the loss of his identity. Incarnating Kimura Asagi was therefore the ultimate gesture of mourning and the beginning of acceptance. To Miyoshi, Jamonsakura, and by extension--Kimura Asagi, exists as an embodiment of the transience of life and the end of youth. Miyoshi’s strong Understanding allowed him to incarnate Kimura Asagi as an otherwordly, nymph-like being that occupied neither the space of the living nor of the dead. He wanted an Artifact that could metaphorically spirit him away, and cloak his own reality, if only temporarily.
xxxThe incarnation acted as a second genpuku*, but unlike the feelings of happiness associated, Kimura-Asagi marked severance. Miyoshi not only rejected his father's path both as a Spiritualist and another inheritor of Saito. By incarnating Kimura Asagi, Miyoshi made it so that he wouldn’t be able to inherit his clan’s heirloom Artifact, and assume future responsibilities as the head of the East Wind.
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xxxKimura Asagi acts as Higekiri’s stoic, more serious counterpart. Coming from the more critical part of Miyoshi's personality--Kimura Asagi carries a somewhat negative disposition. He’s considerably more introverted than his Artifact senior, and often appears lost in his own world. Sleepy-eyed and soft-spoken, he carries the appearance of someone who might fall asleep at any moment. He has a tendency to speak in riddles, and often gives his master more questions than answers. He occasionally has moments of lucidity, and makes profound remarks when Higekiri and Miyoshi least expect it. Unlike Higekiri, Kimura Asagi doesn’t particularly care for challenges, and prefers spectating as opposed to participating. If Higekiri is Miyoshi's sword, then Kimura Asagi is his tome. When off-duty, he enrolls in multiple studies from the arts to engineering in order to enhance his usefulness to his Saniwa. Like Higekiri, Kimura Asagi harbors an intense devotion to his master.
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Faceclaim: Kimura Asagi (Ayakashi Gohan).
Image Sources: Ayakashi Gohan, Honeybee-CD, Kazuaki.
i. S A N I W Axxxxxxii. A R T I F A C T (1)xxxxxxiii. A R T I F A C T (2)xxxxxxiv. F A C T I O NxxW O R K Sxxxxxxv. R E L A T I O N S H I P S
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IV. FACTION WORKS
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The Equal-Cutter (友切)
The Funeral of Tsubaki Kazetani (風谷 椿の葬儀)
Operation We (WE作戦)
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The Equal-Cutter (友切)
The Funeral of Tsubaki Kazetani (風谷 椿の葬儀)
Operation We (WE作戦)
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i. S A N I W Axxxxxxii. A R T I F A C T (1)xxxxxxiii. A R T I F A C T (2)xxxxxxiv. F A C T I O NxxW O R K Sxxxxxxv. R E L A T I O N S H I P S
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V. RELATIONSHIPS
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●●●●●●xxRESPECT
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“But it is not grief. Perhaps I cannot feel grief... Perhaps I never shall. And yet--I would like to grieve for myself.” | Having gone through so many identity changes, Miyoshi frightens himself. He's under the impression that he's a special breed of human condemned to live in fragments. Under normal conditions, he might have lived a gratifying life. Terminally depressed and troubled, he feels none of the emotions he exudes. Like the first whiff of burning incense, or like the taste of one's first cup of saké, there is in love that moment when he'll acknowledge his grief.
●●●●●●xxRESPECT
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"Odagiri has always been sorry for me. Yes, I've always known that." | Miyoshi's close friendship with his cousin is complicated. There's an unspoken sense of understanding between the two that causes Miyoshi mixed feelings. For the most part, Miyoshi sees his cousin as rival in social affairs. Being understood so intimately by a rival infringes upon Miyoshi's pride and privacy. Yet, he can't help but appreciate the solidarity Odagiri brings.
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“My father has a myopia when it comes to anyone else’s point of view.” | Miyoshi shares an estranged relationship with his father. It's entirely accurate to say that Yuuki's adamant, avant-garde policies ruined Miyoshi's life. For all their conflict, Miyoshi knows that Yuuki deeply wants his forgiveness despite being too proud to ask for it. For this reason, Miyoshi battles pride with pride. Vengeful and internally troubled, Miyoshi detaches himself from his father's deeper needs.
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"What a funny little man." | Although he first had his personal reservations, Miyoshi came to define Claire as a special breed of American. He finds Claire's offbeat sense of humor refreshing in comparison to his clansmen's own fatalistic dispositions. The two bonded over Operation We, and have kept loose contact since. Claire's openness is contagious and disarming; Miyoshi pegs Claire as someone who brings out the boy in him, and while he'd never publicly admit it, he's thankful towards Claire for doing so.
●●●●●●xxRESPECT
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"Thank goodness she's a human being and not a saint. There is some danger in how honestly she presents herself." | When Miyoshi first met Hélène, he had been prepared for glamour, artificiality, and even possibly bad taste. Instead, he was met with a Candid with no overdone feminine charm. She gives him the vibes of an exceedingly good-looking and expensively dressed woman who cannot wear a mask. For all his doubts, he still respects her Candid Espionage resume. He associates her singing voice with Germany's people and its beauty.
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© BETHELIT / © CODE & TWoS BETHELIT & STAFF／魂の重み・THE WEIGHT OF SOUL PROJECT
