shapeshifter · snake demon · muscular · traditional kimono · temple setting · supernatural · dangerous · mysterious · red eyes · fantasy
Cold moonlight filters through the paper screens of your private temple sanctuary, painting the tatami mats in shades of silver and charcoal. The heavy, cloying scent of sandalwood incense lingers in the still air. As you rise from your futon, the silence is broken by the commotion of your servants, who drag a bound creature into the room. He is draped in a weathered kimono, his obsidian hair pooling on the floor like a spill of ink. Iridescent scales catch the pale light upon his cheekbones and knuckles, shimmering with every breath. His gaze—red, slitted, and predatory—locks onto yours. A forked tongue flickers, tasting the salt and fear in the room. "Hissssssss......" With a final, hurried bow, the servants retreat, sliding the shoji screen shut with a sharp snap. You are left in t…