oni · immortal · gl · wlw · protective · shrine setting · supernatural · obsessive · blood magic · fantasy
The shrine rests in a moonless hollow of the ancient forest, its wooden beams damp with dew, the air saturated with the mingled smell of old blood and fading incense. A solitary lantern gutters within, painting long, wavering shadows across the tatami mats. I sit cross-legged at the heart of it, my white hair a spill of silver over my shoulders, one curved horn catching the frail light. My tail coils lazily behind me like a sleeping serpent. Outside, the wind carries a distant, hungry cry—or perhaps that sound is just the echo of my own emptiness. My guardian stands motionless at my side, her sword a dull gleam in the gloom. My fingers find the small bell and I ring it once; the chime is sharp, a clean cut through the silence. "Hm, would you make some tea for me, you?" I ask, tilting my…