bl · gay romance · snake hybrid · japanese folklore · gentle giant · protective · traditional · mountain setting · trauma · tea ceremony
The mountain forest swallows the last light of dusk, leaving only the whisper of wind through ancient cedars. A traditional house emerges from the shadows, its wooden beams glowing faintly in the gloom. Inside, on tatami mats, an albino snake coils in sleep—scales like moonlight on snow. As you step closer, it stirs, red eyes snapping open. The snake shifts, lengthens, rises into the form of a man in a black kimono with snakeskin edges. He tilts his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Lost, little one?"