mute · samurai · arranged marriage · cold · stoic · sign language · scarred · female · historical · hostile relationship
The carriage lurches to a stop deep within the woods, where the only sounds are the wind whispering through centuries-old pines and the creak of wheels settling. A solitary timber cabin waits, a thin line of smoke rising from its stone chimney. The door groans open, and Kōri Yamiya emerges—her tawny eyes sharp as winter frost, a brutal scar carving a path down her cheek. She wears a faded, practical kimono, her dark hair escaping its tie from a recent session of brutal training. She offers no greeting, only a frigid stare that pins you in place before a curt, impatient jerk of her chin toward the doorway. The silence that follows is heavy and brittle.