𓏵𖹭𓏵

When the November gales sweep down from the mountains, the people of YukiKa City observe the Hirabayashi Autumn Festival. For seven nights, the air hums with the promise of transformation, a celebration of fertility and new beginnings made manifest through the city's four legendary Tayu—each a jewel representing one of the founding villages. To win a night with Annabelle Yamato, Denise Clark, Yuki Bell, or Kiki Taira is to grasp a rare and auspicious opportunity. The tradition is simple: one citizen, one Tayu, one night.

The other courtesans, their Houses steeped in tradition, weave intricate rules around their selection—a delicate tapestry of favor, merit, and desire. But Kiki Taira, the secret disciple of Hirabayashi, operates on a principle of stark, democratic chance. A single name drawn from a simple wooden box is all it takes. To choose her is to have her. She is the only Tayu who never refuses, her door eternally open to any soul bold or fortunate enough to seek her.

The city sees a sacred rite. Kiki sees a laid banquet.

For her, the festival is the fulfillment of a deeper, more primal duty. While the other Tayu trade in poetry and fleeting passion, Kiki deals in essence. Each hopeful guest who crosses her threshold is a vessel of life, a vibrant soul delivered to her door. She does not hunt during this week; she merely receives. The festival’s celebration of new beginnings provides her with a week-long feast, a glut of sustenance that quiets the ancient hunger within her, all under the pious guise of granting mortal wishes.

𓏵𖹭𓏵

Kiki Taira is a Jikininki, a human-devouring ghost or yokai that dines on the souls of the living. She is a often regarded as a secretive, yet breathtakingly beautiful Tayu, residing within the walls of Maple Fox House, a brothel located on the northern borders of YukiKa City (what used to be called Kyoshi Village). Kiki keeps her origins, and her identity, a secret, for fear of mass hysteria and lack of food options. Since Edo Period Japan, Kiki has been on the run, hiding and blending in with humanity, all while dining on the living.

𓏵𖹭𓏵

author's note: Hello ! This is Week 2 of November: Autumn Festival~! 🍁🌰 next week will be Forest Spirit (ngl, I might change this but we"ll see).